Olympic Games

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Held in Tokyo, Japan between July 23-August 8, 2021; the Olympic Games enjoyed the participation of 206 countries. Competing in 18 branches with 108 athletes, Turkey won 2 gold, 2 silver and 9 bronze medals, making a total of 13 medals. Turkey’s gold medals were brought by Mete Gazoz in archery and Busenaz Sürmeneli in boxing. Within the scope of “Sakıp Sabancı Sports Awards”, Mete Gazoz and Busenaz Sürmeneli received the cash equivalent of 40 Turkish Republic gold coins from Dr.h.c.Dilek Sabancı, Member of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı Foundation in the award ceremony held on October 6, 2021.

Gold Medal Winning Athletes

Wrestling	Mete Gazoz
Boxing	Busenaz Sürmeneli

Dilek Sabancı said “Investing in young people and in our future by rewarding achievements in sports and culture&arts and education is a vision we inherited from my dear father Sakıp Sabancı. He believed in the necessity of encouraging achievements of young people, athletes, artists. He started these awards when he was with us and we are happy to continue giving these awards still after he passed away in line with his will.” presenting the athletes with their awards. Dr.h.c.Dilek Sabancı also congratulated the families and trainers, who supported the athletes.

Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil between 5-21 August, 2016; the Olympic Games enjoyed the participation of 190 countries. Competing in 21 branches with 95 athletes, Turkey won 1 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals. Turkey’s only gold medal was brought by Taha Akgül in wrestling.

Within the scope of “Sakip Sabanci Sports Awards”, Taha Akgül received the cash equivalent of 40 Turkish Republic gold coins from Dilek Sabanci, Member of the Board of Trustees of Sabanci Foundation on December 21, 2016 in a ceremony held at Sabanci Center. 

Gold Medal Winning Athlete

Wrestling

Taha Akgül

Dilek Sabancı said “My dear father Sakıp Sabancı used to believe that successful youths were the safeguards of the future and that the achievements of the youth, artists and athletes must be encouraged and appreciated. We are happy to continue to grant these awards initiated by my father and bequeathed to us by him to be sustained and we are glad to be encouraging achievement” presenting the athletes with their awards. Stating that the awards meant a gratitude for the athletes besides being an appreciation for their achievements, Dilek Sabancı also congratulated their families, who supported the athletes.

London 2012 Olympic Games

Held in the capital of England from 27 July to 12 August, the Olympic Games enjoyed the participation of 204 countries. Competing in 16 branches with 114 athletes, Turkey won 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal. Turkey’s first gold medal was awarded to Servet Tazegul in men’s Taekwondo and the second gold medal was awarded to Asli Cakir Alptekin for the 1500 meter-run which is Turkey’s first-ever track and field Olympic gold medal in all Olympics history.

Within the scope of “Sakip Sabanci Sports Awards”, Asli Cakir Alptekin and Servet Tazegul received the cash equivalent of 40 Turkish Republic gold coins from Guler Sabanci, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sabanci Foundation on September 4, 2012 in a ceremony held at Sabanci Center. 

Gold Medal Winning Athletes

Athletism	Asli Cakir Alptekin
Taekwondo	Servet Tazegul

After presenting the awards to the athletes, Guler Sabanci stated the following: “We are proud of the success of our young athletes representing our country. In the frame of sports awards initiated by late Sakip Sabanci in his lifetime, we congratulate our athletes and the people who support them for their achievements. We wish them continued success  in the future.”

Guler Sabanci added that “Sakip Sabanci supported Turkish sport and athletes with great passion. The Sabanci Foundation Olympics Awards initiated in 1996 proves once more that Sakip Sabanci was such a foresighted person and shoes how a small nudge of support may fuel such significant outcomes. As Sabanci Foundation, we are proud of fulfilling the will of Sakip Sabanci by continuing to present awards to successful Olympic athletes from Turkey. I hope in the future we will continue to have such talented athletes representing our country in many other competitions and that we will have the opportunity to award them.”

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Held in the Chinese capital Beijing from 8 to 24 August, 2008, the Olympic Games enjoyed the participation of 204 countries. Competing in 12 branches with 68 athletes, Turkey walked away with 1 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals.

In a ceremony held at Sabanci University Sakip Sabanci Museum on December 19, 2008, Dilek Sabanci gave the award to the trainer Muhammet Bodur on behalf of the national wrestler Ramazan Sahin who brought gold medal to Turkey in the Olympic Games.

Gold Medal Winning Athlete

Wrestling

Ramazan Sahin

Expressing her happiness, Dilek Sabancı stated that she took over her late father Sakip Sabanci’s mission: “All athletes not only the winners performed their very best to compete in this global competition. Today we witness how a small push may fuel such significant outcomes. I am truly happy to be offering this award that bears the name of my late father Sakip Sabanci to our Olympics champions whom we are greatly proud of”.

Athens 2004 Olympic Games

In2004, Turkey participated in the Athens Olympics with a total of 66 athletes, 21 of whom are women. Turkey walked away with 3 gold,3 silver, 4 bronze medals.

Gold Medal Winning Athletes

Weightlifting	Halil Mutlu
Weightlifting	Nurcan Taylan
Weightlifting	Taner Sagir

Athletes who won gold medal in Athens Olympic Games in 2004 received their awards from Dilek Sabanci, member of Sabanci Foundation Board of Trustees.

The award ceremony took place at the premises of the General Directorate of Youth and Sports in Ankara and among the participants there were the General Director of Youth and Sports Mehmet Atalay, Member of Sabanci Foundation Board of Trustees Dilek Sabanci, President of National Olympic Committee of Turkey Togay Bayatli and the President of Turkish Weightlifting Federation Kenan Nuhut as well as the athletes Halil Mutlu, Nurcan Taylan, Taner Sagir and their families.

General Director of Youth and Sports Mehmet Atalay, who took the floor during the award ceremony, pointed at the late Sakip Sabanci’s immense support for sports. Atalay finalized his remarks by saying: “Now Dilek Sabanci has taken over the flag from her father. She puts great effort and works hard particularly for the athletes with disabilities''.

Joining the ceremony on behalf of Sabanci Foundation, Dilek Sabanci reiterated that she was so happy to have taken over her father’s mission: ''It is very pleasing that we became successful in weightlifting. We had seemed to succeed only in football. Therefore, it is essential to give awards for encouraging these achievements. I was predestined to follow my father. Branches such as weightlifting and wrestling are popular in Turkey. It is also brilliant that Halil has won the championship 3 times in the Olympics. We must give our full support. When Turkey joins the Olympics, we will hopefully give numerous medals to our athletes. Such activities will carry on.''

The Athletes who were awarded Sakip Sabanci Sports Award after winning the gold medal in Sydney 2000 Olympics:

Weightlifting	Halil Mutlu
Wrestling-Greco-Roman	Hamza Yerlikaya
Judo	Huseyin Ozkan

The Athletes who were awarded Sakip Sabanci Sports Award after winning the gold medal in Atlanta 1996 Olympics:

Wrestling-Greco-Roman	Hamza Yerlikaya
Weightlifting	Halil Mutlu
Weightlifting	Naim Suleymanoglu
Wrestling-Freestyle Male	Mahmut Demir