17/11/2018 13:00
Halkbank ‘home-grown’ players look forward to CL debut
2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Men
Ankara, Turkey, November 16, 2018. Halkbank ANKARA is one of the top teams and brands in Turkish Volleyball. Such value does not come from medals and titles only, but also from its contribution to the development of Volleyball in the country. This applies especially to the young players who grow, slowly but surely, in the youth division of the club. As many as six of these players will soon be making their debut this season in the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
Abdullah Cam, Furkan Aydin, Rifat Kantarcioglu, Yigit Yildiz and Efe Bayram are national team players at the same time. Faik Samed Günes is one of most experienced players that has emerged from this ‘talent incubator’.
We caught up with five of them at Ankara Castle to talk about the home match with Knack ROESELARE coming up on Tuesday, November 20 – and they all share the same excitement.
“I will be wearing the shirt of Halkbank in the Champions League for the fifth straight season. Halkbank is a team that always aims at achieving top results. I am proud of being young in this team and still contributing to its results,” said 21-year-old Abdullah Cam. “This year there are familiar teams in our group. We previously played group matches with Zenit KAZAN and Knack ROESELARE. This season we have a young and dynamic group of players. We are very clear in our mind when we say we want to make it out of the pool and after that, we will see what happens next. We have much desire to complete as a leader and to qualify for the next round. We obviously are proud of representing Ankara. We want to complete the first match with a good result and take three points for our fans. We wish to have as many spectators as possible supporting us there. Therefore, we invite all of our fans to the Başkent Volleyball Hall on November 20.”
“This season, as we do every year, we start our journey aiming to achieve our goals,” adds Furkan Aydin. “I think we have developed a good chemistry and have a good squad. We have been training hard for the match with Knack ROESELARE and we want to start this elite competition by winning the first match. We obviously want to use the home advantage to the fullest. We invite the people of Ankara to the match.”
Rifat Kantarcıoğlu, who is 21 as well: “I want to say that I am very happy to be in this squad. Halkbank is a big family. It will be a great experience for me to play in the Champions League. The season starts with the match against Knack ROESELARE, which is my first test in the Champions League. I trust my teammates and the technical staff. I believe that we will achieve success both at home and abroad.”
19-year-old Yiğit Yildiz continues: “I am very happy to play in the Champions League in my first professional year. I am very excited about being a member of this team. We have big goals and we are ready to pursue them as a team. Our first game will not be easy and we know that. However, as a team we are tight-knit and we hope to receive some reward for our hard work.”
Efe Bayram, who is only 16, is obviously the most excited one of the five: “I am very happy to be in Halkbank Sports Club and proud of being a member of this team. I am excited about moving to the A-team from the youth group and playing in the Champions League. We look forward to the match with Knack ROESELARE and we want to make our fans happy.”
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