By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes coach Ergin Ataman said that he hopes that the games of the Turkish BSL League will be postponed. BSL and the Russian SuperLeague are the only leagues in Europe that haven’t been either suspended or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is very difficult to do sports in such an atmosphere,” Ataman said in the post-game flash interview after the win of his team over Bursaspor. “The world is vigilant, all of my athletes are human and no one is psychologically thinking about playing, winning or losing. Still, I congratulate the players of both teams competing on the court professionally. Hopefully, our institutions will take the decision of postponement, considering the health of athletes and the spirit of fighting in fair play.”
Efes, the reigning BSL champion, is currently at the top spot in the standings of both EuroLeague and the Turkish championship. EuroLeague was suspended until further notice on March 12.
“I am the coach of a team that is the [standings] leader in both EuroLeague and Turkish league. We are also one of the most important championship candidates. As a coach, I would like to mention: We don’t want to win the championship but we want to overcome this epidemic that threatens our country and all humanity. I am sure we will win under the leadership of our state.”
Turkey had its first reported casualty from coronavirus on Tuesday (17/3). 51 more people tested positive in one day, raising the total number of cases to 97.
Photo: Anadolu Efes