Sport in Northern Cyprus

There are 29 sports federations in Northern Cyprus and 13,838 people registered in them as of 2008. Taekwondo-karate-aikido-kurash is the most popular sport with 6054 athletes. It is followed by association football (2240 athletes), shooting (1150 athletes) and hunting (1017 athletes). ^[1]

Due to the lack of international recognition, Northern Cyprus is not a member of some international sporting bodies.

Some Northern Cyprus sport clubs participate in Turkey's sport leagues. For example: the Fast Break Sport Club, in Turkey's Men's Basketball Regional League; the Beşparmak Sport Club, in Turkey's Handball Premier League; and the Lefka European University, in Turkey's Table-tennis Super League. The international record for swimming 75 km between Turkey and Northern Cyprus belongs to Turkish national Alper Sunaçoğlu (completed in 26 hours and 15 minutes). ^[2]

International participation and achievements

Badminton

• Badminton Federation of North Cyprus is an observer member of World Badminton Federation and European Badminton Confederation.

Basketball

• The men's basketball Super League operates since 1981.
• In May 2015, the national basketball team played two friendly matches against Abkhazia, losing the first one by 59–76 ^[3] and winning the second one by 59–47. ^[4] Both matches were played in Northern Cyprus.
• In April 2017, Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi became champions in the FIBA EuroCup Women. Since Northern Cyprus is not a member of FIBA, Northern Cypriot Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi registered in Turkey's basketball league to compete in FIBA Eurocup. ^[5]

Billiards

• Billiards Federation of North Cyprus (BFNC) is a member of the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF). ^[6] The national teams of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus played each other in an international sport tournament for the first time in the 2010 European billiards championships in Kielce, Poland. ^{[7] [8]} The country, North Cyprus, is also a member of World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and Union Mondial de Billard. ^[9]
• 2014 Dynamic Billard European Championships (with 32 participating countries) was hosted by Northern Cyprus. ^[10]

Bocce

• Bocce Federation of North Cyprus is a member of the International Bocce Association.

Bodybuilding

• Bodybuilding and Fitness: 2010: Yakup Çavuşgil became World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (WBFF) champion in the championship in Canada.

Darts

• The team of Northern Cyprus Darts Federation became third in darts championship in Spain. ^[11]

EasyKart

• EasyKart Federation of North Cyprus is a member of the International EasyKart Federation. ^[12] 2008: Zeka Özteknik became International Easykart champion in 125cc. ^[13]

Football

Main articles: Football in Northern Cyprus and Northern Cyprus national football team

• In 1975, FIFA general-secretary Helmut Kaser granted permission for Cyprus Turkish Football Federation to play friendly internationals against FIFA countries, but not competitive games; this permission was abolished in 1983 when Northern Cyprus was declared. ^{[14] [15]}
• The Turkish Cypriot Football Federation administers a football league in Northern Cyprus.
• Northern Cyprus is among the countries listed by the FIFA Working Committee on Small Nations. ^{[16] [17]}
• Northern Cyprus is a member of Confederation of Independent Football Associations (ConIFA). ^[18]
• In September 2014, Demetris Vasiliou became the first Greek Cypriot football player to sign for a team in the Northern Cypriot league. He plays for Değirmenlik (team of Kythrea). ^{[19] [20]} Greek Cypriot nationalists labelled him a "traitor" and surrounded his home, preventing him from attending his first match with the team. ^{[21] [22]} Vasiliou said he received death threats. He also lost his job as youth coach of Omonia Aradippou. ^[23]
• CONIFA Euro 2017 will be hosted by Northern Cyprus. ^[24]

Football Tennis

• Football Tennis Association of North Cyprus is a member of the Federation International de Footballtennis Association. ^[25] Northern Cyprus placed 6th in the 9th World Footballtennis Championship ^[26]
• The 2011 European FootballTennis Championship was hosted by Northern Cyprus. ^[27]
• The 2014 World FootballTennis Championship was hosted by Northern Cyprus in 19–24 October. ^[28]

Gymnastics

• Turkish Cypriot Gymnastic Federation administers the related activities in the country.

Handball

• Handball Federation of Northern Cyprus administers a league in the country.

Shooting

• Shooting: TRNC Shooting Federation participated in Airgun Championships 2011 in Bisley, UK and the team became 2nd. ^[29]

Martial arts

• Federation of North Cyprus is a member of Global Taekwon-do Federation (GTF). ^[30]
• The 9th GTF World Championship in 2013 was hosted by North Cyprus. ^[31]
• The headquarters of "Eurasia Taekwondo Federations Union" is in Kyrenia of Northern Cyprus. ^{[32] [33]}
• Judo, Hapkido and Kickboxing federation of Northern Cyprus became a member of International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA) in 2011. ^[34]
• 14th Euro-Asia Taekwon-Do Championships and First World Budo Martialarts Championships will be organized in Northern Cyprus in 2014. ^[35]
• Northern Cyprus participated to the World Kickboxing Championship organized by International Sport Kickboxing Association (ISKA) in 2015. ^[36]

Tennis

• Eliz Maloney Yorganci from Tennis Federation of Northern Cyprus became champion in the 2014 UK Masters 14U Tennis Tournament. ^[37]

Volleyball

• Volleyball Federation of Northern Cyprus administers a league in the country.

Wrestling

• Northern Cyprus is an associate a member of United World Wrestling, previously known as FILA. ^[38] The UWW Bureau members raised no objection to the application of Northern Cyprus in 2008. ^[39]

Multi-sport events

• On 18 May 2010 Northern Cyprus became a member of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF). ^[40]

Membership of international sports federations

See also: Membership of Northern Cyprus in international organizations

Northern Cyprus has gained membership of the following federations:

Entity	Notes	Status	Date
Federation International de Football-Tennis Association (FIFTA)	Northern Cyprus is a full member of FIFTA. [41]	Member
Futsal European Federation	Northern Cyprus is a member. [42]	Member
European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF)	Northern Cyprus (TNC) is a full member of EPBF. [43]	Member
United World Wrestling (UWR)	Northern Cyprus is an associate member of UWR. [38] [44]	Associate member	June 2011
World Pool-Billiard Association (WPBF)	Northern Cyprus is a member of the WPBF. [45]	Member

See also

• Football in Northern Cyprus

References

1. TRNC State Planning Organization. 2008 Yılı Makroekonomik ve Sektörel Gelişmeler, p.176-179.
2. "Swimming record from Turkey to Northern Cyprus". Brtk.net. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
3. Kibris Postasi 29 May 2015
4. Spor Kibris Archived 2015-10-20 at the Wayback Machine 30 May 2015
5. NEU Official Website...Representing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus at the EuroCup Women’s Basketball, ...
6. European Pocket Billiard Federation's Members Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine Billiard Federation of North Cyprus (BFNC) is a member of European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF)
7. 2010 European Billiard Championship Scoreboard
8. Billiardapps North Cyprus - Cyprus match results
9. UMB members
10. European Pool Billard Federation official website Dynamic Billard European Championships Started
11. Kibrispostasi The team of Northern Cyprus Darts Federation won third place in Spain
12. International EasyKart Federation's Members Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine EasyKart Federation of North Cyprus is a member of International EasyKart Federation
13. 2008 International Easykart Championship Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Zeka Özteknik of Northern Cyprus became champion.
14. "Football Reunites in Cyprus". March 30, 2021.
15. Daria Isachenko, The Making of Informal States: Statebuilding in Northern Cyprus and Transdniestria, p.189
16. PlayTheGame
17. "FIFA's potential new members" (PDF). www.playthegame.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2011.
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20. "Değirmenlik Kulübü'nün dün kadrosuna kattığı Demetris Vasiliou, KTFF liglerinde forma giyen ilk Rum futbolcu olacak". Kıbrıs Gazetesi. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
21. "Greek Cypriot footballer labelled traitor for joining Turkish Cypriot team". Worldbulletin. 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
22. Çevik, İlnur (30 September 2014). "Are Greek Cypriots ready to embrace Turks?". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
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24. CONIFA 2017 Home Page of CONIFA Euro 2017
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28. 11th World Footballtennis Championship
29. "NSRA.co.uk".
30. GTF Members
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32. "KKTC Taekwondo Judo Karate Aikido Hapkido Kung Fu Kurash Wushu Muaythai Federasyonu – AVRASYA TAEKWONDO FEDERASYONU".
33. "KKTC Taekwondo Judo Karate Aikido Hapkido Kung Fu Kurash Wushu Muaythai Federasyonu – FEDERASYONUN TARİHÇESİ".
34. ISKA Official website Welcome new member "North Cyprus" in the ISKA Family
35. "GTF Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – Official Invitation".
36. Northern Cyprus Judo, Hapkido and Kickbox Federation
37. "LTA British Tennis".
38. "Official FILA site". Fila-wrestling.com. 2006-05-01. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 2010-04-28.]
39. UWW UWW President's note
40. North Cyprus became a member of ISSF Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine NC is a member of ISSF.
41. "Members".
42. "Northern Cyprus".
43. "Members of EPBF". EPBF.com. European Pocket Billiard Federation. July 27, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2021.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
44. "Wrestling body approves N Cyprus membership". Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2024-12-21.
45. "EPBF". Archived from the original on 2020-03-21. Retrieved 2022-08-17.