Athletics Achievements

An Unforgettable Sports Season at BLIS: Record-Breaking Achievements on International and National Stages

As IDV Ankara Private Bilkent Laboratory and International School (BLIS), we take great pride in sharing the historic and record-breaking achievements of our sports program during the 2025–2026 academic year, which constitutes an integral part of our vision for academic excellence. In line with our mission of “guiding learning and personal growth,” our student-athletes, who have demonstrated outstanding performances both on international courts and in national championships, have once again honored us as distinguished ambassadors of BLIS.

Highlights of This Remarkable Season:

I. ISSA Triumph on the International Stage

This year, our school has truly made history in the International Schools Sports Association (ISSA) tournaments.

  • Our High School Girls’ Volleyball Team brought the championship trophy to Ankara for the third consecutive time by outperforming all competitors at the ISSA Championship held in Madrid in November 2025, marking one of the greatest international achievements in BLIS sports history.
  • Our High School Girls’ Basketball Team claimed the championship title at the ISSA Tournament held in Rome in March 2026, securing the trophy for the second consecutive year.

II. Consistency in TISL (Turkish International Schools League) Tournaments

We successfully represented our school across various branches and age categories in the TISL, which brings together international schools in Türkiye.

  • Football (October 2025): In the TISL Middle School Tournament, our Girls’ Team became Champions, while our Boys’ Team finished as Runners-up. In the TISL High School Tournament (Istanbul), our Girls’ Team won the Championship.
  • Basketball (January 2026): In the TISL Middle School Tournament, our Boys’ Team became Champions and our Girls’ Team placed second. In the High School category, our Girls’ Team finished first, while our Boys’ Team secured second place.
  • Volleyball (April 2026): Both our Middle School Girls’ and High School Girls’ Teams became TISL Champions in their respective categories.

III. Ankara Inter-School Ski Championship: Dominance on the Podium

BLIS ski athletes achieved remarkable success in both Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding disciplines at the 2025–2026 Season Ankara Provincial Ski Championship organized by the Ankara Directorate of Youth and Sports.

Snowboard (Giant Slalom and Combined):

  • Ankara Champions (1st Place): İpek Ada Aktan (U12 Girls), Eray Kevin Giba (U12 Boys), Emre Aden Giba (U14 Boys), Arda James Giba (U16 Boys)
  • Ankara Runners-up (2nd Place): Gün Özen (U10 Boys), Hasan Mert Altunkaynak (U12 Boys), Kaan Alikılıç (U14 Boys), Serin Ersü (U18 Girls), Erdem Ersü (U18 Boys)
  • Ankara Third Place (3rd Place): Alaz Barut (U12 Boys)

Alpine Skiing (Giant Slalom and Combined):

  • Ankara Champions (1st Place): Ada Dülgeroğlu (U10 Girls – Combined), Derin Sadıkoğlu (U12 Girls – Combined), Erhan Can İşcioğlu (U12 Boys – Combined), Duru Sucak (U16 Girls)
  • Ankara Runners-up (2nd Place): Asya Tekin (U10 Girls – Combined), Leyla Yaşar (U12 Girls – Combined), Ergil Ersü (U12 Boys – Combined), Kerem Çöloğlu (U12 Boys), Emre Aytür (U14 Boys)
  • Ankara Third Place (3rd Place): Leo Watsford-Ayoola (U10 Boys – Combined), Beliz Çol (U12 Girls – Combined), Deniz Tonak (U12 Boys – Combined), Talya Pekkanlar (U14 Girls), Batu Hazneci (U14 Boys), Rüzgar Sönmez (U16 Boys)

IV. Türkiye Ski and Snowboard Championship (Kars Sarıkamış): National Summit

Following our success in Ankara, our student-athletes achieved historic results at the Türkiye Ski and Snowboard Championship held in Sarıkamış, Kars between March 24–26, reaching the top at the national level on behalf of BLIS.

The national rankings obtained at this prestigious championship are as follows:

  • Emre Aden Giba (Grade 8): Became Türkiye Champion (Gold Medal) in all categories—Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Combined (Overall)—in the U14 Boys Snowboard discipline.
  • İpek Ada Aktan (Grade 5): Achieved Türkiye Runner-up (Silver Medal) in Slalom, Giant Slalom, and Combined categories in U12 Girls Snowboard.
  • Serin Ersü (Grade 11): Placed third (Bronze Medal) in U18 Girls Snowboard Slalom.
  • Erdem Ersü (Grade 11): Placed third (Bronze Medal) in U18 Boys Snowboard Giant Slalom and ranked fifth in Slalom.
  • Arda James Giba (Grade 10): Placed third (Bronze Medal) in U16 Boys Snowboard Giant Slalom.

Additionally, our athletes Eray Kevin Giba (G5), Kerem Çöloğlu (G5), Hasan Mert Altunkaynak (G5), and Talya Pekkanlılar (G8) successfully completed their races in their respective categories, representing our school on the national stage.

V. National School Sports Championships: Ranked Among the Best in Türkiye

Our teams achieved prestigious rankings both at the provincial level and across Türkiye in School Sports competitions.

  • U14 Girls’ Volleyball Team: After finishing third in Ankara, our team became Group Champions in Ereğli and Semi-Final Champions in Yozgat, advancing to the Türkiye Finals. They ranked fifth in Türkiye among the nation’s top schools.
  • U14 Girls’ 3×3 Basketball Team: Finished third in the Ankara Provincial Championship and represented our school in the Group Competitions held in Kırıkkale.
  • U14 Boys’ Basketball Team: Finished fourth in Ankara, became Group Champions in Amasya, and successfully represented our school in the Semi-Finals held in Afyonkarahisar.
  • U12 Boys’ Basketball Team: Finished second in Ankara and qualified for the Semi-Finals after becoming Group Champions in Niğde.
  • U12 Boys’ Tennis Team: Placed third in the Ankara Provincial Championship.
  • U14 Girls’ Tennis Team: Placed third in the Ankara Provincial Championship.

We sincerely congratulate our student-athletes—the architects of this historic season—for their discipline, determination, and exemplary sportsmanship. We also extend our gratitude to our coaching staff, trainers, and the esteemed parents who have continuously supported our teams.