Undefeated Wheelchair Basketball Champions Aim for the Super League and EuroCup

İzmir 9 Eylül Aiming for the Süper Lig After an Undefeated Championship Run

İzmir 9 Eylül Engelliler Spor Kulübü Tekerlekli Sandalye Basketbol Takımı enters the 2026–2027 season with its sights set on the Süper Lig after winning the Bölgesel Lig championship undefeated last season. The squad features 14 athletes ranging in age from 9 to 48, combining different personal backgrounds under a shared competitive mission as they prepare for the 1’inci Lig.

EuroCup 4 Hosting Duties Await in April 2027

Alongside their domestic league campaign, the club prepares to host the EuroCup 4 tournament in İzmir from April 22 to 25, 2027. Ece Aytaç, a member of the İzmir 9 Eylül board of directors and the club’s public relations and press consultant, noted the significance of the upcoming international fixture. “Our club will compete in European cups for the first time and at the same time host such an important international organization,” Aytaç stated, highlighting the historic step for the club and its goal of introducing wheelchair basketball to broader audiences. Aytaç added that welcoming athletes from different European countries in İzmir is extremely valuable for promoting wheelchair basketball to wider masses and increasing awareness in the city, emphasizing that the goal is not only to achieve success on the court but also to carry the unifying power of sports to all of İzmir.

Club Leadership Highlights Social Integration and Early Sport Access

Speaking at a launch event held on October 5 at the İzmir Tarihi Havagazı Fabrikası, club officials detailed their operational vision for the new term. The gathering featured face yoga, dance performances, and live music before introducing the roster to attendees. Team captain Hakan Kıroğlan and club president Ali Rıza Kartal addressed the audience to share expectations for the upcoming fixtures. Aytaç noted that the event allowed the sharing of the club’s new season targets and future period works.

Athletes Share Personal Journeys Through Wheelchair Basketball

Player Ada Acar, 25, who has used a wheelchair since a 2009 traffic accident in İzmir, described the sport as a vital journey of self-discovery and perseverance, noting that although she encountered the difficulties of life at an early age, she learned over time to struggle, hold on to life, and not give up on her dreams. Acar stated that even though she is very new, sports have already taught her self-confidence, courage, discipline, and how to struggle, strengthening her belief in herself and enabling her to look at life more hopefully, seeing herself not only as a disabled individual but as an athlete with goals, dreams, and many things she can achieve. Teammate Ömer Berik joined the sport on the recommendation of friends and previously secured Süper Lig promotion with Kayseri Melikgazi Bedensel Engelliler Spor Kulübü and a Bölgesel Lig title with Malatya Büyükşehir Belediyesi before joining the İzmir 9 Eylül roster.

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