Darüşşafaka and PACE Academy Bring Scientific Support to Basketball

The partnership was officially announced at a launch event hosted by PACE Academy co-founders Ali Özdoğru and Ozan Şirikçi together with Darüşşafaka Sports Club executives. The project will cover all athletic performance processes for the club's youth and first team. It is planned to offer scientific measurement, analysis and expert support across a broad range, from tracking athletes' physical development to the safe return to the field after an injury.

Özdoğru said that returning to the club where he once wore the jersey, now as a performance partner, carries an emotional meaning for him. Stressing that a development process supported by proper guidance and scientific methods makes a big difference at a young age, he said their goal is to help athletes make the most of their potential and maintain a healthy sporting life over the long term.

Şirikçi said they have combined Darüşşafaka's longstanding experience in developing athletes with PACE Academy's scientific testing and field applications. He stated that the work will not be limited to a short camp and is designed as a joint model that will continue throughout the season.

Darüşşafaka Sports Club President Ata Salim Celayir said the project will take the club's sporting culture further with the opportunities of modern sports science. He noted that the detailed measurements and scientific training carried out with youth and first team athletes Ege Akçay and Ahmet Arda Ene have contributed to their individual development, their national team goals and their awareness on the court.

As part of the partnership, the first pilot program, PACE Athletic Performance Camp, will be held from November 16 to 20, 2026 at the Bilişim Vadisi building in Vadistanbul. The program will operate in a 500 square meter area and will include individual and group training, performance analyses and sport-specific development programs. The scope of the program is planned to be expanded from 2027 onward.