Rize amateur football experienced a golden year

Amateur sports clubs in Rize have experienced a golden year with the achievements they have accomplished this year. Rize achieved great success in football and many other sports branches in the amateur field this year. Çayelispor, competing in the Regional Amateur League (BAL) in football, became champions after 30 years and rose to the TFF 3rd League, while another Rize team, Veliköyspor, competing in the super amateur league, also became champions and moved up to the BAL league. Rize produced Turkish champions not only in football but also in other sports branches. Efforts are being made to train athletes in various branches from combat sports to water sports, with the current goal being for young athletes from Rize to represent Turkey in Olympic sports. President of Rize Amateur Sports Clubs Federation (ASKF), Ali Çelik, expressed their desire to produce Olympic champions from Rize.
“It has been a golden year for us” President Ali Çelik of Rize ASKF emphasized that Rize has experienced a golden year with the successes achieved this year in amateur sports clubs, stating, “We consider this year as our golden year. Çayelispor becoming champions made it a golden year for us. Besides football, we had an effective season in other branches as well. Especially, we have 2 teams in the super league of Handball. We won many Turkish championships in water sports, rafting, and boxing. World champions have emerged from Rize. We also gained incredible momentum in wrestling. We were very successful in school sports. We can say that Rize has lived its golden year this year. There is no need to talk about football. It is the most-watched sports branch in the world, but other branches are also very effective in Rize. When we arrived, there were not so many sports facilities. In fact, we did not even have a football field in the center. All of these have been achieved. In addition, incredible facilities have been built in Rize. There will be a new wave of facility construction. With this facility construction and support for school sports, we will gain momentum. We have not been successful enough. If we were able to receive the support that some public institutions gave in the past, maybe we would have created a different atmosphere. Most of our clubs have survived.”
“It is slowly becoming apparent that sports are not just about football” Çelik stated that they are developing athletes in sports branches other than football and producing champions in many fields, saying, “Interest in sports branches other than football has started to increase. Sports specialization is happening in Rize. It is slowly becoming apparent that sports are not just about football. Support has also increased here a bit more. We are not satisfied immediately. Our goals are big. I believe we will be much better. Rize’s children are talented. Hopefully, we will train athletes for the Olympics from now on. Why shouldn’t we have other teams in the second, third leagues in football as well. Hopefully, in the future, I think it would be better for a football team from the center to rise to the 3rd League. I do not think we have a problem in terms of facility construction. We have a bit of a deficiency in the educational part. I think nobody should be left without doing sports. Everyone should do sports.”
“I believe more Barış Alper Yılmazs will emerge from our facilities” President Çelik, who mentioned that many successful young footballers from Rize, such as Barış Alper Yılmaz who grew up in Rize’s amateur club and became a player for Galatasaray, could emerge, said, “The success of Barış Alper Yılmaz makes us all happy because he is one of us. I believe that more Barış Alper Yılmazs will emerge from our facilities. Not only in football. Why shouldn’t a Rizeli be in the Olympics in canoeing, rafting, sailing. The goal should be to train athletes in Olympic sports from now on. There should be an increase in talented children in football as well.”