As we start the new academic year, we would like to extend a warm welcome to new and returning Bilkent students.
You have entered or are continuing at one of the best universities in Turkey. Just as Bilkent excels in terms of academic quality, it also offers students great opportunities to exercise, develop athletic skills and participate in team sports as part of a well-rounded university experience. The Physical Education and Sports Center offers a wide range of programs in world-class sports facilities. These include three multipurpose sports halls, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, mini football fields and a grass football field.
In the Dormitories Sports Hall, a state-of-the-art fitness center has top-notch exercise and fitness equipment on hand. Also there for your use are three squash courts, regulation-size basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor running track, group exercise and multiuse studios, a table tennis room and locker rooms.
All the facilities you need for sports, exercise and fun can be found right here on campus. To use any of the sports facilities or to participate in a sports course, you need to bring your Bilkent ID card with you each time you enter a facility.
As far as programs and classes go, here’s what we offer for you at our sports facilities: an extensive selection of group exercise classes, a variety of martial arts programs (aikido, kendo, taekwondo, wing chun, etc.) and four racket sports programs (badminton, squash, table tennis, tennis), as well as fencing, ballroom dancing and Turkish folk dancing.
Registration for 2019 fall semester sports courses will take place at the Physical Education and Sports Center facilities September 24–29. All courses will begin the week of September 30. Please note that students can take some of these courses as elective credit courses.
If competition is your favorite form of athletic activity, we invite you to try out for our school teams, in sports that include American football, badminton, basketball, fencing, football, orienteering, squash, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.
Our “Sports as a Way of Life” program continues to grow every year. In this program, students are automatically assigned to eight groups named after mountains: Ağrı, Erciyes, Davraz, Ilgaz, Nemrut, Palandöken, Toros and Uludağ. Students have the opportunity to organize their own teams with fellow members of their group to compete in intramural tournaments in basketball, football and volleyball, which take place during both the fall and spring semesters. Students can also participate as individuals in tournaments held in sports such as badminton, squash, table tennis and tennis, or take part in running events and other special activities organized each semester.
Let us close by reminding you of an often-repeated saying that’s also very true: exercise and fitness add not just years to one’s life, but also life to one’s years. Take advantage of what’s available to you, make it part of your lifestyle and, above all, enjoy.
The Physical Education and Sports Center