Turkish women's basketball team leaves mark despite war proximity

Founded in 2010, Hatay Women Basketball team has made an impact both in the Turkish league and Europe in a very short time.

Hatay Women Basketball team celebrating a win against Fenerbahce in this file photo.
TRT World and Agencies

Hatay Women Basketball team celebrating a win against Fenerbahce in this file photo.

A career as a professional basketball player will definitely take you places. But what happens when your new team is based 20 kilometres away from a war zone?

The city of Antakya, the capital of Turkey's southern Hatay province, is mostly known for being close to the Syrian border and housing 500,000 refugees.

But thanks to its women's basketball team, the city is looking to leave its mark on the world of sports.

The Hatay women's basketball team made history last year when they won the Turkish National Cup.

This year, they are aiming higher, they have reached the semis of the Euro Cup.

But convincing players to come play for a team based so close to a war zone also proved to be a challenge.

TRT World's Donald Cameron reports.

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