Buğra and Aleyna champions at CEV
A TURKISH Cypriot volleyball player and her partner have emerged as champions at an international tournament — at her first attempt at playing in snow.
Representing Turkey, Buğra Eryıldız and her partner, Aleyna Vence, won the women’s category of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV)-organised event at the Erciyes ski resort in Kayseri, Turkey — part of the Snow Volleyball European Tour.
In an exciting final in heavy snow and windy conditions on Sunday, the two played the Russian national pairing of Ekaterina Syrtseva and Ksenia Khakimzanova, beating them 3-1.
After returning to the TRNC, Ms Eryıldız told Cyprus Today: “This was the first time I had competed in snow, and it was very pleasurable — though of course the climate of Cyprus is nothing like that!”
The Turkish Cypriot player has represented Turkey previously, and with her partner also came third in the 2017 Balkan Beach Volleyball championship held in Albania last September on their more familiar seaside terrain.
Ms Eryıldız described the victory as “fanstastic”, putting to good use up to four hours a day indoor practice throughout
the summer, and said it was an honour to bring home the trophy for Turkey and North Cyprus.
Last weekend’s three-day event was the first of five legs on the European tour. The next takes place in the ski resort of Roccaraso, in the Italian region of Abruzzo, next month, and she said the pair “will be gearing up for that”.