|
Very few player millionaires, if any, have ever thought of contributing in any way to the development of sports in this country. They wouldn´t do that, but would rather spend like drunken sailors in pubs and bars or buy big on luxury cars even Barack Obama cannot afford. This therefore gives added importance to what Hidayet has initiated. And he stands to gain because good deeds live forever
|
The school, situated in Ataşehir, bears the name of the Magic small forward -- the Hidayet Türkoğlu Basketball and Sports School. And this is a first because it is the first ever basketball school carrying the name of a player and founder.
“We reached a decision on this name after consulting with our youth and together we agreed to agree on this name for the school,” Hidayet told reporters. “We are in no way aiming only for short-term success,” he went on. “We embarked upon this venture with mid-term and long-time goals in mind. We plan to nurture young talent in this sport who will be future basketball stars in this land. And through grants and scholarships [as in the United States], I rest assured that the game of basketball will be brought to a higher level in this country,” he noted. “One of our paramount aims is to bring a brand new philosophy to the sports sector,” Hidayet asserted when explaining the philosophy of the school. “We hereby declare that we are ready to render services to Turkish sports and also boost the sports sector,” he added.
Sweet words worthy of a philanthropist who wants youngsters to attain greater heights and eventually end up making a living from playing basketball.
Hidayet, born in İstanbul in 1979, began playing basketball at the age of 10 and progressed into one of the best players in Turkey. When Hidayet decided to join the Sacramento Kings n 2000, his signing was a national sports event with a nationally televised press conference. He became the first Turkish-born player to ever play in the NBA and is very confident other Turks can also succeed.
Others should follow suit
Turkish clubs -- be it football, basketball, volleyball, you name it -- have squandered hundreds of millions of dollars/euros on players. You read, see and hear all about this player signed for a multi-million dollar deal, that player acquired for millions of euros, and so on and so forth. And some eventually vanish with these huge sums without giving practically anything back -- on the field/court or off it.
And very few, if any, have ever thought of contributing in any way to the development of sports in this country. They wouldn’t do that, but would rather spend like drunken sailors in pubs and bars or buy luxury cars that even Barack Obama cannot afford. This therefore gives added importance to what Hidayet has initiated. And he stands to gain because good deeds live forever.
All we are saying is that other sports millionaires should bear in mind that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander and therefore should strive to extend the opportunities to others -- youngsters in particular.
“The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers,” said Martin Luther King Jr. in “Strength to Love” (1963).
