On January 23-24, the Bilkent Foxes quidditch team was in Adana for the international Intergalactic Cup competition. Even though it was the Bilkenters’ first tournament, they came unbeaten through their group stage and were pleased with their performance overall.
The Foxes began preparing for the tournament months in advance. During this time, they played matches against the METU Unicorns and Turkey’s top team, the METU Hippogriffs, winning 180-150 against the Unicorns in overtime and 150-140 against the Hippogriffs in double overtime.
The first day of the tournament in Adana consisted of group matches. The Foxes were placed in the Luna group with more experienced teams: the Uludağ Aragogs, Işık Death Eaters, METU Unicorns and the French team Les Maraudeurs from the Institut Catholique de Rennes.
The Bilkent team’s first match was against the Işık Death Eaters. Although the opposing team caught the snitch, the Foxes won 120-110. In their second match, against the METU Unicorns, the Foxes caught the snitch and won 70-50. Their next opponent, the Uludağ Aragogs, turned out to be no match for the Bilkenters, who defeated them 110-40, with a good catch of snitch.
The last game of the day was against Les Maraudeurs from France, who ended the match with a catch of the snitch but went down to the Foxes 90-60. Tired but elated by their four victories, the Foxes now faced the prospect of a quarterfinal match against one of the tournament’s strongest teams, the METU Hippogriffs, on the following day.
As it turned out, the injuries the Foxes had suffered during the group stages, the intensive tempo of the tournament (which none of the team members were used to) and the experience and well-played game of their opponents ended the Foxes’ journey to the finals. The Bilkent team lost 140-60 and limped out of the tournament.
For information about the Bilkent Foxes quidditch team: spor@bilkent.edu.tr or ece.berkyurek@ug.bilkent.edu.tr