Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
He had a passion to change the future of Hakkari's youth
which had nothing to occupy their time;
he was optimistic and hopeful he could make a difference in their lives.
It was described in one sentence.
"There is nothing to do." Short and simple.
"This is a difficult place to live; few live here by choice.
We never push away something here with the back of our hands.
It is rare to see goodness here,
so when it comes, we chase after it..."
- There isn't much else to do in Hakkari.
When we go outside, we either go to a cafe or play games.
When we came to basketball class for the first time, our teacher Erol was here.
He picked us off the streets.
He put the basketball in our hands a few times.
And of course, we started to enjoy it.
But when we slacked off, again he came after us.
When I look back at what I could have been...
I could have ended up like so many
who have no vision in life and be a nobody.
But with basketball at least there was something I could do.
At least it was worth it.
If I had stayed with my friends,
I would be strolling through the streets,
playing games in saloons, smoking, getting addicted to these things.
But now at least I come to a clean place far away from them.
We live in a place with very limited possibilities.
Hakkari is misconceived in the West.
When we play basketball, we want to be able to come and go as we please.
We want to play basketball in a more comfortable environment.
It would be enough to just have a ball to play with!
Erol Hanlıgil is a literature teacher.
But to Hakkari's youth he is known as "The White Shadow" legend.
Erol Hanlıgil felt very alone
when he was first came to this town.
Erol Hanlıgil realized that he couldn't change the lives of the youth
just teaching them literature.
He thought of alternatives and basketball came into mind...
He projected his own live
and paved a map and then an unforgettable story began.
- When I first came here, there was a summer sports school
opened by the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports.
I was not coaching at that time;
I just came to watch the summer sports camp
and I noticed that only about 20-30 people came to play.
At that time, football was more influential.
Summer school capacities were no more than 200 – 300 people.
Our basketball group was about 20-30 people.
Then by some strange coincidence, I started coaching.
I realized that there was no infrastructure
that I needed to create this infrastructure myself.
I started creating this with the future in mind.
2-3 years later, the number of youth
who applied to summer schools was around 300-400.
Erol Hanlıgil mortgaged his future
to create Hakkari's only basketball team.
Those who had turned their back on him now fill up the gymnasium.
He is an idol for the youth, he is their hope.
Currently we have about 1.500-2.000 trained basketball players in Hakkari.
I've trained most of them together with the support of my wife
and other coaches who have poured their hearts into this.
Like I said, it's a group thing.
It would be impossible for me to do this on my own,
to bring basketball to this point in Hakkari.
Along with my friends, as a group we are trying to accomplish this goal.
Erol Hanlıgil chased a dream.
He re-wrote his story the way he wanted to live it.
He never gave up in face of the many obstacles.
He changed the perspective of a town's attitude
towards basketball and try to change the fate of youth.
He made them realize that there were other options in Hakkari.
He did something unforgettable in a town that is usually forgotten.
He marked an incredible change
in the lives of the youth of Hakkari.