Eczacıbaşı Sports Club welcomed former athletes who left their mark on Turkish basketball history, Necati Güler and Ron Haigler, to its new home in Kartal. Coming together with the Eczacıbaşı family again after nearly 40 years, the legendary athletes shared memories from their careers and met with young athletes.
In its 60th year, Eczacıbaşı celebrated the joy of welcoming legendary athletes who made their mark on the club’s history and once wore its iconic blue-and-white colors to its new home. Necati Güler, one of the unforgettable names in Eczacıbaşı basketball, and former American basketball player Ron Haigler visited the club’s new sports complex in Kartal after many years.
Since 1966, the Club has invested in Turkish sports and continues to preserve and carry into the future its 60-year history, shaped by achievements across different sporting disciplines. During this special reunion, Necati Güler and Ron Haigler came together with the Eczacıbaşı family again after nearly 40 years.
Necati Güler, who was part of the squad for five of Eczacıbaşı’s eight Turkish League championships in basketball, shared memories of the place Eczacıbaşı holds in his life, the team’s culture of success, the years marked by championship victories, and Turkish basketball of that era.
Ron Haigler, who joined Eczacıbaşı in 1978, also experienced the excitement of being reunited with the Eczacıbaşı family more than 40 years later. Haigler spoke about what his years at Eczacıbaşı meant to him, the friendships he formed with his teammates—which continue to this day—and the memories he has never forgotten.
During their visit, the two former athletes also met with Eczacıbaşı’s youth players, who continue their training in Kartal. In these special moments that brought different generations together, Güler and Haigler shared their experiences with the young athletes, creating a meaningful connection between the past and the future.
In its 60th year, Eczacıbaşı continues to preserve its strong sporting culture and rich legacy, shaped by achievements across different disciplines throughout its history, alongside its ongoing sporting journey in women’s volleyball today.
Eczacıbaşı will continue to welcome former athletes who once wore its jersey and left their mark on its history to its new home, turning these reunions into an Eczacıbaşı tradition. By bringing its legendary athletes together with the young athletes who wear the Eczacıbaşı jersey today, the Club aims to carry its 60-year culture, values, and accumulated experience into the future.
As our Club prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary, we conducted an interview with our President, Faruk Eczacıbaşı, for our YouTube channel. Describing the international success Turkish volleyball has achieved today as the result of a collective effort spanning many years, Faruk Eczacıbaşı emphasized that our Club’s 60 years of experience has been one of the important building blocks of this development.
Our Women’s National Volleyball Team has secured a place in the Round of 16 at the CEV Trendyol 2026 Women’s European Volleyball Championship, co-hosted by Türkiye, Czechia, Azerbaijan, and Sweden, after winning all four of their matches.
