National Team Excitement Shared with the Press

The KKTC A National Men's Basketball Team will host Abkhazia in the November 15 Republic Cup. The match, the first at A National Team level after a long break in basketball, will take place on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 18:00 at the Lefkoşa Atatürk Sports Hall.

Before the match, the KKTC Basketball Federation held a press conference at the Turkish Cypriot Sports Writers Association. At the conference, federation president Tahir Topaloğlu, vice president Ahmet Şahinsoy, national team coaches Tahir Soyer and Hasan Kasap, and captains Hasan Debeş and Hamit Çeliktaşlılar made statements.

Topaloğlu said that playing the match on the anniversary of the founding of the KKTC carries a special meaning. Noting that the score is secondary, Topaloğlu stressed that their priority is to fight to the end on the court in the star and crescent jersey and to represent the country in the best possible way. He said the national team's return to the court gives young basketball players a goal, and he called on clubs, schools and all sports fans to support the team from the stands.

The technical staff said that the 15-player squad had gone through an intensive training program in a short period. It was noted that preparations for the match would be completed with a final shooting session to be held today. Captain Hasan Debeş said that wearing the national jersey is an important goal for the players and that they want such matches to continue. Hamit Çeliktaşlılar said the team feels the excitement of wearing the star and crescent jersey and that they will give everything they have on the court.

Federation vice president Ahmet Şahinsoy announced that talks have been held to continue contacts with Abkhazia in a way that also covers youth teams. Topaloğlu said that the Abkhazian delegation had been invited to the KKTC for a large-scale tournament planned for July. The federation will consider the proposal at its board of directors once the details of the event are clarified.