Turkish basketball, volleyball leagues canceled due to pandemic
ISTANBUL
Turkey’s basketball and volleyball leagues will not return to action this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are ending all our leagues,” Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) President Hidayet Türkoğlu told reporters after a 90-minute board meeting on May 11.
“There will not be a champion in any of our leagues. The remaining matches in the men’s and women’s leagues will be not be played,” he said.
The decision came just one week after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced plans to resume the football leagues on June 12 following a suspension of play in mid-March.
Türkoğlu also said there would be no relegation or promotion this year, adding that the final standings and the teams to qualify for European competitions will be announced later.
Similarly, Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF) President Mehmet Akif Üstündağ said his sport would not declare a champion or relegate any team.
“The men’s and women’s leagues have been registered as they stand,” he added.
Turkey suspended all professional leagues on March 20, but the country’s football federation announced last week that it plans to resume games on June 12 and host the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul in August.
