CIU Hosted the Wheelchair Basketball Team

Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Health Sciences organized an event called ‘Sports Meeting with Barrier-Free Hearts’.
At the event held at the CIU Arena, TRNC Disabled Sports Federation President Ahmet Akdeniz and Vakıflar Wheelchair Basketball Team athletes had the chance to meet with CIU students and academic staff.
Speaking at the event, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Hatice Sütçü reminded that they had signed a memorandum of understanding with the TRNC Disabled Sports Federation last year and noted that since then, they have been working on many projects with the Federation. 
Sütçü expressed their pleasure in organizing such a talk, and stated that obstacles are only in the mind and that each of the participants will share their experiences on how they transformed the obstacles they had to deal with into a successful journey.
While telling the history of the Mediterranean Disabled Sports Federation, the President of the federation stated that the team was formed in 1982 when a friend of his named Mustafa Çelik became paralyzed from the waist down as a result of a traffic accident. He was introduced to wheelchair basketball as part of his rehabilitation in England and when he returned to North Cyprus, he started practicing this sport with 5 of his friends, and hence the team started to be formed.
Akdeniz said that the team initially played basketball with hospital-style wheelchairs, then the number increased to 10 and they played basketball using professional wheelchairs. The team became professional over time and was included in the Turkish league in 1997 following the promotion matches held in Çeşme.
Stating that sports are of great importance especially in the lives of disabled people, Akdeniz said, “Sports have a transformative effect on the lives of disabled friends.” Explaining that he himself lost his right leg below the knee in a traffic accident in 1980, Akdeniz said, “I cannot walk because of an irresponsible driver. I ask you, please do not drive fast or drink and drive. The price of this is very high.”
Akdeniz also reminded that traffic accidents create situations that can make our lives difficult, and added, “you have this situation weigh heavy on your conscience and you blame yourself for it.” 
Drawing attention to the fact that disabled people are no different from other people, Akdeniz reminded, “You have your feet, I have my wheels. There is no difference between us. The only obstacle is the environment.”