A Life Dedicated to Sport, Science and Life: Urcan Vangöl

Urcan Vangöl was born in Nicosia on 22 September 1967. After finishing Köşklüçiftlik Primary School, he completed Şehit Hüseyin Ruso Secondary School and then Lefkoşa Türk Lisesi. He graduated from the Faculty of Business Administration in 1993. He developed the interest in basketball that he had shown since his primary school years and played professionally for Çetinkaya, Kuzey Kıbrıs Kültür Derneği and Vedat Kaner clubs. He also took part in the national basketball team and won awards in international matches. During his high school years, Vangöl also pursued athletics and won various awards in the 4x100 relay.

Vangöl founded Enper Ltd. in 1997 and began working in the private sector. He took on active roles in the establishment stages of Yakın Doğu Bank and the Near East University Faculty of Law. In 2003, he took on the role of KKTC coordinator for the fish farm that Dardanel had established in Kumyalı, and held this position until 2008. Between 2008 and 2010 he paused his private sector work, and in 2010 he returned to it, taking a position at the Deepsea fish farm.

On 31 August 2010, Vangöl was elected president at the general assembly of Çetinkaya Türk Spor Kulübü. He aimed to turn the club into a sports school and moved toward implementing contemporary, lasting and sustainable scientific projects. As the first step of these projects, he founded a women's basketball team, but this initiative did not last long. He then pursued opening a girls' basketball school at Çetinkaya Spor Kulübü, which also did not last long. After serving 100 days as president of Çetinkaya, Vangöl passed away on 5 November 2010.

Vangöl, son-in-law of Founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, performed his military service as a reserve officer between 1996 and 1998. He left this service with the distinction of being 'Dönem Birincisi' (first of the term).