By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A monument in honor of the 2021 EuroLeague championship title that Anadolu Efes won was officially unveiled in Istanbul Monday (16/5), a few days before the Turkish powerhouse defends its trophy in the Belgrade Final Four (19/5 – 21/5).
The unveiling ceremony took place at the Korac Cup Square of the Bahcelievler Municipality (home of Efes‘ Sinan Erdem Arena) in Istanbul where the monument was erected. Several officials, including Turkey Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu, attended along with Efes president Tuncay Ozilhan, coach Ergin Ataman, the players of the team and numerous fans.
“The Korac Cup that Efes won in 1996 was the driving force of the historical successes of our basketball,” Kasapoglu said. “The EuroBasket gold of 2001 and the silver medal in the 2010 World Cup, the victory of the ’12 Giant Men’ was ignited by the enthusiasm of the Korac Cup. I have absolute faith that the EuroLeague championship that brought us together here today will be a new driving force for Turkish basketball.”
Efes will be traveling to Belgrade Serbia with the goal of winning the back-to-back EuroLeague championship title. “Tomorrow [Tuesday] we’re on our way to a new EuroLeague Final Four adventure,” Ataman said. We believe in ourselves.”
“As Efes, we have been trying to represent Turkey in the best way possible for 45 years with our historical, infrastructure and what we have won,” he previously mentioned. The biggest share in this success is the one of our athletes, because they made history in Turkey and Europe. Our players became the team and pride not only of Efes but all of Turkey.”