3 Ocak 2026 Cumartesi

"Bowl & Release": Vintage Bocce Team From Van Old Folks Home Heading to Turkey's Championship

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Sözcü Newspaper, 3 January 2026)





















                           A win is standing back up.

A bocce team formed from residents of a nursing home in Edremit 
district of Van aims to win first place in this year's Turkish 
championship.  The Edremit Nursing Home Bocce Team, formed 
with the participation of nursing home residents, competed in the 
"60+ Adults Bocce Tournament" this year, winning 6 out of 8 
matches against teams from Artvin, Ardahan, Kars, and Ağrı.

The four-person team, aged between 61 and 76, finished first in 
their group and qualified for the Turkish championship to be held 
in Antalya.  The team, which trains three days a week in the nursing 
home's training hall under the supervision of sociologist and team 
coach Ferit Kadaş, aims to win first place in the Turkish 
championship.

It's all about strategy...



















Ekrem Koçak, a 70-year-old bocce team player, told an AA reporter 
that he first encountered bocce at the nursing home.  Stating that he 
had previously participated in tournaments, Koçak said, "I had gone 
to Antalya for a tournament before. I came in third there. We 
participated in the competitions again this year. We are traveling to 
Antalya. We eliminated our opponents in the group stage. Our goal in 
the championship is to be on the podium, finishing first or second. 
We want to return with our heads held high."

New Yorkers eager to meet Edremit in the Olympics this year.



















Cemil Selman, 61, who said he played bocce for the first time at the 
nursing home, said, "I learned bocce here thanks to the people at the 
nursing home. We eliminated our opponents in the group stage and 
came here. I am very excited to go to Antalya. Hopefully, we will be 
champions there."

76-year-old Şaban Şabanoğlu, who said he had recently moved to the
nursing home, stated, "We started playing bocce with our friends here. 
We have a great time together. When we go to competitions, we also 
get the opportunity to visit the historical sites of those places. We are 
very excited to go to Antalya. We are going there to win."





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