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

Basketball

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

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

  • 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

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

Multi-sport events

Membership of international sports federations

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

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 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 Billiard Federation of North Cyprus (BFNC) is a member of European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF)
  7. ^ [1] 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 EasyKart Federation of North Cyprus is a member of International EasyKart Federation
  13. ^ 2008 International Easykart Championship Zeka Özteknik of Northern Cyprus became champion.
  14. ^ Footandbool
  15. ^ Daria Isachenko, The Making of Informal States: Statebuilding in Northern Cyprus and Transdniestria, p.189
  16. ^ PlayTheGame
  17. ^ http://www.playthegame.org/fileadmin/documents/PTG-FIFA_Small_Nations_table1.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  18. ^ ConIFA
  19. ^ "Vasiliou to play in the north". Cyprus Mail. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  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. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  22. ^ Çevik, İlnur (30 September 2014). "Are Greek Cypriots ready to embrace Turks?". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  23. ^ Stevenson, Peter (6 October 2014). "Soccer-Sport back on the front-line of Cypriot political divide". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  24. ^ CONIFA 2017 Home Page of CONIFA Euro 2017
  25. ^ Federation International Football ennis Association Members
  26. ^ North Cyprus became 6th in 9th World Footballtennis Championship
  27. ^ 2011 European FootballTennis Championship is in Northern Cyprus
  28. ^ 11th World Footballtennis Championship
  29. ^ NSRA.co.uk
  30. ^ GTF Members
  31. ^ Star North Cyprus to host GTF World Championship in 2013
  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 TRNC
  36. ^ [2] Northern Cyprus Judo, Hapkido and Kickbox Federation
  37. ^ LTA British Tennis
  38. ^ a b "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.
  44. ^ https://www.newsturkish.com/wrestling-body-approves--n-cyprus-membership-2011-06-20.html
  45. ^ "EPBF".
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