OR Turkey of Ergkin Ataman It was defeated 88-83 by Germany in the Eurobasket final and failed to secure the first gold medal in its history.
The national Turkey returned to its … base on Monday (15.09.2025) and was warmly welcomed. The federal technician, Ergkin Ataman, spoke on the arrival of the team and stood both in pride in distinction and frustration over the loss of the title:
“History writes the champions. We know we are the heart champions, but we will also become the real champions. We got very close, we lost it at the last minute. The day will come to conquer that too. “
At the same time, he added: “We are proud of the silver medal, but I am personally very sad. We really wanted to bring this championship to the Turkish nation. We lost it with the last shot. “
Ergin Ataman: “We are proud to win a silver medal, but I am very sorry for myself. Because we wanted to bring this championship to the Turkish Nation. We gave the championship in the last ball.”
— Euroleague Time (@euroleague_time) September 15, 2025
Ergkin Ataman also posted on social media, apologizing to his compatriots because he did not return from Riga Latvia with the Eurobasket trophy.
Ataman referred to the lost final: “The silver medal won after so many years is definitely a great achievement. The Turkish nation is proud of these children. However, I am deeply sad. The story always records the champions and we have lost the gold medal marginally. I apologize to our compatriots who believed in us and eagerly awaited this trophy in front of their screens.
I wholeheartedly believe that these children, who brought Turkish basketball back to the top of Europe, will bring this trophy back to our country in the near future. I would like to thank the thousands of fans who came to Riga to support our national team in the Eurobasket final and who made the whole world listen to our national anthem together. “