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Basketball Anyone?
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 Bilkent News interviewed Kağan Eynak, the University Basketball Team Coach on November 22. Eynak, who has been working for the Bilkent University Physical Education and Sports Center since 1989, completed his education in Basketball at 19 Mayıs Gençlik ve Spor Akademisi in 1984. He also coached TED, Yükseliş College, MTA, Mülkiye, and DSI basketball teams before coming to Bilkent.
Eynak began by discussing the advantages of the new sports center for Bilkent basketball lovers. He remarked that students who wanted to play basketball as a hobby, in their free time, have had many difficulties in getting courts in the past. While there were 15-20 students playing basketball per hour in the past, now the number has gone up to 70-80. There are now 140 students participating in the continuing University Intramural Basketball Tournament and the Bilkent University Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams are in the League of the Inter University Basketball Tournament.
“What is important is the participation, not the winning” Eynak says. “We are very happy with the success of our Basketball teams (both men and women). They are playing in sync, which is the most important thing for a successful team,” says Kağan Eynak and continues, “Since basketball is a team sport, like other team sports, it gives the individual a team spirit, which is to share experiences, to struggle together and sometimes to be sad together.” The Physical Education and Sports Center organizes two intramural tournaments during each academic year which are the “Republic Cup Tournament” and the “Rector’s Cup Tournament.” “The atmosphere of the tournaments, although competition based, is still enjoyable. Occasionally, the parents of the students are able to attend and cheer for their respective teams.”
When Eynak was asked about Basketball in Turkey, he said that “Basketball in Turkey has always been successful. However, because of financial difficulties, some of the clubs have been closed but, the Turkish National Basketball Team’s (12 Dev Adam / 12 Giant Men) success in the European Basketball Tournament shows the place of Turkish Basketball in Europe. Since then, the number of Bilkent students playing basketball also increased.”
The Physical Education and Sports Center invites all basketball lovers to the Sports Center to play basketball in their free time. “Basketball is an enjoyable sport, so why don’t you come out and play” says Eynak. 
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