Turkish Forum

Category: Sport

  • Iverson Bags Turkey, Wants NBA Job

    Iverson Bags Turkey, Wants NBA Job

    Former Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson is done playing ball in Turkey and wants back in the NBA. But would the Sixers ever bring Iverson back here?

    Video (From 2002): We’re Talkin About Practice

    Classic Video: Iverson Talks About Practice: MyFoxPHILLY.com

    That would seem to be a long shot but stranger things have happened in Philadelphia.

    But the team’s rumored new owner, billionaire investor Joshua Harris from Apollo Capital Management, is a long-time Sixers fan.

    The web site Business Insider says Harris will get the team for between $270 million and $290 million , which would be a discount from its reported Forbes market value of $330 million.

    Harris is a Whatron grad and reportedly a hardcore Sixers fan.

    So what fan-turned-owner would pass on giving Iverson a chance to retired as a Sixer?

    For Iverson’s part, he told ESPN recently he is back from Turkey , rehabbing an injury and wants one last shot in the NBA.

    “Just give me a training camp,” Iverson said. “Maybe I’ve rubbed people the wrong way as far as saying the things I’ve said in my life and in my career. But if any team needs me to help try and win a championship in any capacity, I’m waiting.”

    The Sixers may actually have an opening for a guard, at the veteran minimum, if Andre Iguodala is traded for a forward or center.

    The team doesn’t have the salary cap space to add a more expensive player, and it could include Jodie Meeks or Lou Williams in a deal to move Iguodala.

    The big question is if Iverson can even play at an NBA level. He only played in a handful of games in Turkey and he just turned 36 this week.

    But the Sixers would have little to lose by inviting Iverson to training camp to practice with the team and at least giving him a chance to retire in Philadelphia if he can’t make the Sixers.

    In December 2009, Iverson returned for a brief stint with a bad Sixers team and wept at a press conference. He left the team several months later.

    via Iverson Bags Turkey, Wants NBA Job.

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  • BNP Paribas to Sponsor Women’s Tennis Tournament in Istanbul

    BNP Paribas to Sponsor Women’s Tennis Tournament in Istanbul

    BNP Paribas (BNP) and its Turkish unit, Turk Ekonomi Bankasi AS (TEBNK), will be the title sponsors of the year- ending tournament for women’s tennis.

    The agreement will last three years, through the 2013 final, the WTA, the organizer of women’s tennis, said today in an e-mailed statement. The event brings together the top eight female singles players and top four doubles teams, who will compete for $5 million in prize money.

    It’s the fifth large agreement signed by the WTA in the past 12 months. Sony Ericsson is the sport’s lead global sponsor, and cosmetics maker Oriflame, Chinese clothes maker Peak and Qantas Airways Ltd.’s Jetstar subsidary signed new agreements. Usana, a vitamin maker, renewed its sponsorship.

    TEB is among the top 10 banks in Turkey, and has more than 3 million clients at its 600 branches, the WTA said.

    To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chris Elser at celser@bloomberg.net

    via BNP Paribas to Sponsor Women’s Tennis Tournament in Istanbul – Bloomberg.

  • ROMAN ABRAMOVICH IN BIG CASH ROW WITH ANGRY TURKS

    ROMAN ABRAMOVICH IN BIG CASH ROW WITH ANGRY TURKS

    By Tony Banks

    CHELSEA will face a £14 million bill if they appoint Guus Hiddink as their new manager this week.

    Chelsea target Guus Hiddink has come under attack in Turkey, where he has been accused of betrayal Read more:
    Chelsea target Guus Hiddink has come under attack in Turkey, where he has been accused of betrayal Read more:

    Roman Abramovich was last night embroiled in a cash row with the Turkish Football Federation. The Chelsea owner does not want to pay the £4m compensation Turkey want for releasing Guus Hiddink from the remaining year of his contract – on top of the £6m-a-year wages Chelsea intend to pay him.

    Abramovich, has already had to pay out around £4m to Carlo Ancelotti, whom he sacked on the final day of the league season.

    Dutchman Hiddink is Abramovich’s top target to replace Ancelotti. But if talks break down they could turn to Mark Hughes, who quit as manager of Fulham on Thursday, or even Spurs boss Harry Redknapp.

    Yesterday, Chelsea sources appeared to rule out Hughes or Redknapp working under Hiddink for a year and then taking over.

    Hiddink, 64, has come under savage attack in Turkey for refusing to commit to carrying on as their national team manager after the 1-1 Euro qualifying draw with Belgium on Friday.

    Headlines in the Turkish press read: ‘Goodbye Hiddink’; ‘He betrayed us, who needs Hiddink’ and ‘Good riddance’.

    Abramovich ideally would like Hiddink to walk out on the Turks, and his stubborn stance looks like a bargaining position to try to force down the price for the former Real Madrid manager and save him the embarrassment of having to break his contract.

    Abramovich has had to shell out massive payments over the last four years to managerial staff he has sacked.

    About £23.1m went to Jose Mourinho, who left in September 2007, and Avram Grant, who went in May 2008, and their staffs. Another £12.6m went on paying off Luiz Felipe Scolari [sacked in 2009] and his backroom staff.

    Hughes’ agent, Kia Joorabchian, last night said the decision to quit Fulham had nothing to do with the vacancies at Chelsea and Aston Villa.

    Joorabchian said: “Mark has ambitions to compete at the top level. Fulham are a great top-10, mid-table club and Mark really wants to be right up there competing in the Champions League, competing for titles.

    “The timing was just an unfortunate circumstance. Mark Hughes is a sincere man.”

    Ashley Cole has allayed fears he suffered a broken ankle in England’s 2-2 draw with Switzerland.

    Chelsea left-back Cole hobbled away from Wembley on crutches, but an X-ray revealed there was severe bruising.

    via Express.co.uk – Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Sport | Football.

  • Thirty hurt in Belgium vs Turkey clashes

    Thirty hurt in Belgium vs Turkey clashes

    Romania’s supporters cheer for their team during their Euro 2012 Group D qualifying soccer match against Bosnia at Giulesti stadium in Bucharest June 3, 2011.

    20110604.191947 euroqualifier

    BRUSSELS – THIRTY people including three police officers suffered light injuries after fans clashed while watching the Belgium and Turkey Euro 2012 qualifier on a big screen, city officials in Ghent announced on Saturday.

    One police officer was struck in the head with a bottle thrown from the crowd, while around 30 other people were reported to have been treated for light injuries at hospitals around the city.

    The clashes occurred during and after the transmission of the game on a big screen in the centre of Ghent, where up to 7,000 Belgian and Turkish supporters had gathered.

    Some fans clashed after the end of the match, which finished in a 1-1 draw, with police reporting sporadic acts of vandalism.

    City officials said only one arrest was made. — AFP

    via Thirty hurt in Belgium vs Turkey clashes.

  • Sisli Armenian chess club of Istanbul qualifies for Turkish Team Championship final

    Sisli Armenian chess club of Istanbul qualifies for Turkish Team Championship final

    chessPanARMENIAN.Net – Sisli Armenian club of Istanbul celebrated victories in the last two matches of the Turkish Team Championship semi-final. The Armenian chess players led by GM Hrant Melkumyan defeated Taksim (5:3) and Ozel Deniz Adi (7.5:0.5) clubs.

    Thus, Sisli has qualified for the championship final due from July 3 to 10, 2011, in Konya, armchess.am reported.

    GM Levon Babujian has scored 8.5 points out of 9 possible and won the champion’s title at Yerevan Chess Championship, passing ahead of his nearest rivals FM Hovhannes Gabuzyan, Tigran Petrosian and IM Ashot Nadanian by 2.5 points.

    GM Tigran Petrosian has scored 4 points out of 5 possible at the 3rd Orissa International GM Open Chess Tournament – KiiT CUP 2011- taking place in India. Petrosian is one point behind leader GM Chandran Pachanathan.

    via Sisli Armenian chess club of Istanbul qualifies for Turkish Team Championship final – PanARMENIAN.Net.

  • Hiddink says he can combine club and country

    Hiddink says he can combine club and country

    ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey coach Guus Hiddink heightened speculation of a possible return to Premier League Chelsea when he said he would prefer the tempo of a club role to a national coaching job in an interview published on Tuesday.

    Dutchman Hiddink, who had a successful five-month stint in charge of Chelsea two years ago, is one of the favourites to take over from Italian Carlo Ancelotti who was sacked this month.

    Hiddink, whose Turkey side face Belgium in a crucial Euro 2012 qualifier on Friday, said he felt energetic at the age of 65 and had been very happy in the past when he coached national and club sides at the same time.

    “I feel energetic, so a club role is more preferable. And that’s what I like, working every day. I feel I need to do more,” he said in an interview with the Turkish daily Haberturk.

    “I’ve trained Australia and PSV at the same time, as well as Russia and Chelsea, and I was very happy. We’ll see what happens with Turkey.”

    Turkey are third in Group A, one point behind Belgium and six points behind leaders Germany, and a loss on Friday would jeopardise their chances of competing at Euro 2012. Turkish media reports have said Hiddink could be sacked if the team fail to qualify for the finals.#

    Hiddink said he had not received any official offers from any club sides.

    “There is no official offer yet, but I can’t guarantee anything. I haven’t told the chairman (Turkish Football Federation chairman Mahmut Ozgener) what I thought yet. But he’s an intelligent man. I am sure he follows the world media,” Hiddink said.

    He said his Turkey contract was valid for another year.

    “I never told anybody I was going to continue working here. The team is focused on me, I would affect the team negatively if I answered the speculation,” he said.

    via Hiddink says he can combine club and country | Sport | Reuters.