Turkish sports minister congratulates women's national volleyball team over its championship

Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak on Sunday congratulated Türkiye's women's national volleyball team after it defeated Brazil 3-1 in the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League final to claim the title.

"They truly achieved something remarkable. They delivered a consistent performance. They gained the upper hand over their opponents and advanced through the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. They made our nation proud, and we thank them," Bak told Anadolu.

Bak said they had made a difficult journey to watch the match at the venue.

"We came through a very challenging route to make it to today's match. There was a storm, and there was a possibility that the plane would not be able to land, but we made it. We witnessed such a wonderful championship," he said.

Noting that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had also followed the match, Bak said: "As soon as the match ended, our president called. He congratulated each of our athletes individually. He watched the match himself and follows the team closely."

"There have been major investments in sports. It makes us proud to see such achievements as a result of those investments. One leg of this season was held in Ankara, where our national team won all four matches. The arena was completely full, and we also congratulate our supporters. The European Championship lies ahead, and we believe they will also accomplish very good things there. We truly have an excellent generation," he added.

Bak also congratulated national team player Melissa Vargas on being named the tournament's most valuable player.

"We congratulate Melissa Vargas on being selected as the MVP. Winning a championship is a beautiful thing, and so is winning. It is also very special to have the Turkish national anthem played for the whole world," he said.

"We congratulate all our athletes, our federation president and his team, our head coach, the technical staff and everyone who contributed. Bringing joy to our nation is important. Our people have strong national feelings, and everyone becomes excited when such results are achieved. Everyone watched the match on television. May this championship be a gift to our nation. Defeating Brazil 3-1 in the final was also very important. We are proud of our athletes.

"Major investments are being made in sports and sports facilities. It is also very important that our president comes from a sporting background and follows sports closely. We also thank our sponsors for their strong support for Turkish sports. May this championship bring pride and joy to our nation," he added.