2024 TURKEY FAIR PLAY AWARDS PRESENTED TO THEIR RECIPIENTS AT A GLORIOUS CEREMONY

The Turkey Fair Play Awards, traditionally organized by the Fair Play Commission—of which Professor Dr. Selçuk Bora Çavuşoğlu, a member of the Executive Committee of the European Fair Play Movement (EFPM), is also a member—were presented to the winners at a ceremony held on Tuesday, December 23, at the TMOK Olympic House, hosted by the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK).

The ceremony was organized with the aim of promoting, spreading, and turning the concept of Fair Play into a way of life in Turkey. Individuals and institutions that stood out throughout 2024 with their exemplary behavior, contributions to the promotion of Fair Play, and their stance representing ethical values were honored with awards.

“We Must Show Society the Clean and Inspiring Face of Sport”

TMOK President Ahmet Gülüm stated in his speech, “Fair Play is a very valuable legacy that has grown with belief, effort, and experience for 44 years. We are a generation that has inherited this legacy and is responsible for carrying it further.”

Emphasizing that the Turkish National Olympic Committee aims to show society that sport has many different values by using its unifying power, Gülüm said:
“As a former athlete who has spent 53 years in sport, I see this very clearly: when sport is mentioned in Turkey, it is still discussed under a single heading, and unfortunately often within a negative framework. However, we have world-class athletes such as Yusuf Dikeç, Mete Gazoz, and İbrahim Çolak, as well as our young women who make us proud with their achievements in volleyball and basketball. Our duty is to make this clean, honorable, and inspiring face of sport visible.”

“With These Awards, We Honor Not Only Athletes but People Who Have Made Fair Play a Way of Life”

TMOK Fair Play Commission President Haldun Domaç began his speech by thanking the award winners and everyone who attended the ceremony to support them. Domaç said:

“Fair Play is a value so precious that people may earn it only once in their lives and cherish it in the most special corner of their homes. With these awards, we honor not only sporting success, but also people who have made Fair Play a way of life. Our aim is not only to explain Fair Play to athletes, but to pass it on to the children they will raise—the generations of the future. Because Fair Play is not a rule; it is a culture passed down from generation to generation.”

Domaç concluded by emphasizing the importance of the awards for Turkish sport, saying:
“Together, we are not only giving awards; we are growing a more just, more ethical, and more respectful sports culture.”

Fair Play Awards Presented to 22 Individuals and Institutions

A total of 22 individuals and institutions selected from among many candidates by the TMOK Fair Play Commission members and jury were deemed worthy of Fair Play Awards in four main categories: Promotion, Career, Conduct, and Social Responsibility.

Among the winners of the 2024 Fair Play Awards were prominent figures from the sports world such as Daniele Santarelli, Alperen Şengün, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Yusuf Dikeç, Recep Uçar, and Kuzey Tunçelli.

Other award recipients included Umut Ünlü, Gençlerbirliği Women’s Football Team, Öznur Cüre, Ata Atakul, Gülşah Sırakaya, Denizli Çamlık FK, Sakine Küçükakyüz, Melihşah Katman, Ejder Sözen, Ragıp Vural Tandoğan, Alp Pehlivan, Sakarya Harmanlıkspor, Selçuk Erdoğan, and Boyabat Eğitim Spor Women’s Football Team.

The Social Fair Play Award was presented to Physical Education Teacher Ferhunde Tuba Üstünkal and Tekirdağ Yeniçiftlik Nizamettin Demirdöven Primary School for their contributions to spreading Fair Play values through education.

Dikeç: “Sport, Like Music, Is a Universal Language That Unites People Beyond Differences”

Olympic silver medalist Yusuf Dikeç, who won the Sportive Fair Play Promotion Category Grand Award, delivered a speech after receiving his award, stating that the honor represented not only sporting recognition but also acknowledgment of the values he represents:

“Last year at the World Cup in India, when the President of the World Federation came to me and said, ‘Thanks to you, shooting has become a little more popular worldwide,’ I was deeply moved. As a Turkish athlete, contributing to the recognition of my sport both in my country and around the world is a great source of pride for me.”

“Once again, we saw that sport—just like music—is a universal language. Beyond political or ideological differences, it has a unifying and inclusive power that brings people together. Seeing athletes from all over the world come together around the same emotions through this movement made me very happy, both for my country and personally. I sincerely thank the President, the Board of Directors, the Fair Play Commission, and everyone who contributed.”

Ünlü: “Our Greatest Wish Is for Our Efforts and Struggles to Be Seen and Recognized”

Umut Ünlü, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games champion who received the Sportive Fair Play Career Category Grand Award, stated that it was extremely meaningful and valuable for the TMOK Fair Play Commission to present an award to a Paralympic athlete:

“This sends a very powerful message that our efforts, struggles, and achievements are being seen.”

“As athletes with disabilities, we always work very hard, put in great effort, and achieve great success. Being honored with such an award during the season increases our motivation and shows us that we are on the right path. Our greatest wish is for our work and the struggle we put forward to be seen and recognized by everyone. This award showed us that this is possible.”

International Fair Play Achievements Also Honored

At the ceremony held at the Olympic House, awards were also presented to individuals and institutions who won European and World Fair Play Awards in 2024 but were unable to receive them abroad. In addition, winners of the 3rd World Fair Play Photography Contest were honored.

In the World Fair Play Awards, Ebru Kavzan received the Diploma of Honor in the Conduct Category, Associate Professor Dr. Recep Cengiz received the Diploma of Honor in the Career Category, and awards were presented to Bursaspor Supporters, Nizip Sports Club, and Bahri Vreskala from the European Fair Play Commission.

In the 3rd World Fair Play Photography Contest, first place was awarded to Yağız Gürtuğ. Other prize winners were Hüseyin Karahan, Hasan Uçar, İhsan Korkut, Halil Sağıryaya, and Fazıl Bartu Kösemsever. The Achievement Awards were presented to Mahmut Serdar Alakuş, Hamza Canbaş, Serdar Aydın, Aytül Akbaş, and Mohammad Farhang.

The ceremony concluded with a group photo session with the award-winning individuals and institutions.

29.12.2025