ISTANBUL // The football players of Salvarspor are different from those on many other football teams in Turkey. They come from a village, they wear baggy trousers and headscarves on the pitch - and they are women.
"They don't want to play in shorts, they want to keep their baggy trousers," Veysel Solak, the team coach, said in a recent telephone interview from the village of Guneyyayla. "After all, we are Salvarspor."
"Salvar", pronounced "shalvar", is the Turkish word for the roomy and colourful trousers that are worn by some Turkish village women and that have become the hallmark of the team.
Recently, Salvarspor was hired by an advertisement company for a widely seen chewing gum commercial on national television.
Now the village team in Burdur province in south-western Turkey is looking for a sponsor that can pay for better football boots and other equipment. The exploits of Salvarspor are drawing attention to the difficult situation of women's football in this football-crazy country of more than 70 million people. Football officials say Turkey has to do much more to encourage its women to play.
Next week, on international women's day on March 8, they will be trying to do exactly that. A match between two female celebrity teams, fielding singers, businesswomen and journalists, will be played in Istanbul as an advertisement for women's football.
No such encouragement is needed in Guneyyayla. Mr Solak, who is also the mayor of the village, said his team was looking forward to playing against other female teams in the region, but had to get into shape first. "Training has started on the village square," he said. The village's football pitch was still unusable because of winter conditions. Salvarspor currently has 14 players aged between 18 and 21, according to Mr Solak.
Salvarspor shot to nationwide fame in 2002, when the governor of Burdur visited the village of about 400 people and saw young women kicking a ball around, inspired by the success of the village's male team in a local cup competition. The sight of the female football players was unusual enough for the governor to call in the media, Mr Solak said. Shortly afterwards, the female players running around the pitch in their traditional dress found themselves featured on Turkish television.
The team's first career came to an end a few years later after several of the players got married. Now a new generation is ready to take up where the first team left off. The advertisement agency that hired Salvarspor for the chewing gum clip came across the team in a film posted on the internet.
"We are ready to play in other films as well," Mr Solak said. He added his first priority was to raise money for his team. "We have not been able to buy good football shoes for some of our girls."
Lack of sponsors and funds is a problem for other female football teams in Turkey as well. Atasehir, a women's team in Istanbul, recently faced the prospect of having to dissolve its squad even though the club had just made it to the top women's league, because there was no money to pay for expenses such as trips to out-of-town matches. The team was saved when the local mayor pledged to support the team.
Although football is a national passion in Turkey and although the country's football federation estimates that there are 13 million young women in the country who may be interested in playing the sport, the official number of registered female players who play regularly is just 1,322. None of the three women's football leagues is professional.
The federation says it is time to change that. "We do not accept any kind of discrimination in sport," Ersin Alankaya, the federation official in charge of strengthening women's football around the country, told a recent panel on the subject in the south-eastern city of Kahramanmaras. "Our girls play very well," Mr Alankaya was quoted as telling a similar meeting in the city of Sivas. "And they play more beautiful as well." One day, male football players may be afraid to play against a women's team, he predicted.
Mr Alankaya and other officials admit that Turkey is far behind in the development of women's football. Norway, a nation of just 4.5 million people, had 120,000 female football players, he told his audience in Sivas. One of the young players listening to Mr Alankaya, Gulnihal Uctas, told a local newspaper she started to look at life in a new way after she picked up football. "At the same time, we have been able to do away with the phrase that 'football is a men's sport,'" she said.
Women's football is gaining a foothold in several regions of the country. Even the province of Hakkari in Turkey's poor and socially conservative south-eastern corner bordering Iraq and Iran, has its first women's team. In a league match last weekend, the women of Hakkari beat a visiting team from Tarsus by a whopping 24-0.
Hamdi Aslan, the coach of the national women's football team, also says things are looking up. "When we started four years ago, we only had 50 players" to choose from, he said according to the football federation's website. "Today we have a player reservoir of 700 to 800 people."
But Mr Aslan conceded that it will take time and patience until Turkey can compete with leading women's teams in the world.
@Email:tseibert@thenational.ae
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA