Scandalous allegation in swimming: Galatasaray wins championship by fielding an unlicensed athlete! Fenerbahçe files an objection...

It has been claimed that Galatasaray fielded its swimmer Doğa Çelik, whose license had not been renewed, during the Turkish Swimming Championship held between August 4-8, 2023, and that the Yellow-Red club became the Turkish champion based on the successes achieved.

According to a report by Birgün, Fenerbahçe, which finished the championship in second place, filed an objection with the Turkish Swimming Federation regarding the matter. In Fenerbahçe's petition of objection, reference was made to Article 1 of the section titled “Competition Participation Rules” in the competition regulations, and the following statements were included:

‘‘In the instructions for the Turkish Arena Inter-Club Long Course Youth and Open Age Swimming Championship and Stars Individual Swimming Competition held on August 4-8, 2023, it is stated that only athletes with a 2022-2023 visa-stamped license can participate in the competitions. However, it has been determined that the license of Doğa Çelik, who participated in the competitions on behalf of the Galatasaray Sports Club, was not visa-stamped for the 2022-2023 season, and the athlete competed without a valid license. The last visa date for Çelik's license was December 20, 2021, and the expiration date was September 30, 2022.’’

In its objection, Fenerbahçe requested that Doğa Çelik be disqualified, the points he earned for Galatasaray be deducted, the team rankings be recalculated, and the Turkish champion be re-announced. Furthermore, they requested that a disciplinary investigation be launched against the individuals who allowed the athlete to compete with an invalid license.

RESULTS ACHIEVED

It was reported that Doğa Çelik, competing for Galatasaray, achieved the following results in the championship:

• Men's 4x100 meter
• Freestyle Relay: 1st
• Men's 4x100 meter
• Medley Relay: 1st
• Mixed 4x100 meter
• Freestyle Relay: 2nd
• Men's 100 meter Freestyle: 3rd
• Men's 50 meter Freestyle: 5th

According to the information obtained, Galatasaray finished 21.5 points ahead of Fenerbahçe in the championship, which they won after a 7-year hiatus. However, it is alleged that the successful swimmer Çelik forgot to renew his license visa. It is claimed that Çelik, who should not have participated in the competitions according to the rules, competed through the efforts of Galatasaray Swimming Team Head Coach Yasin Atıl, who also serves as a technical director at the TSF.

TSF DID NOT RESPOND

While Lawyer Merve Metin, the official in charge of the TSF Legal Affairs Unit, whom we contacted for her views on the matter, did not make a statement, officials from both clubs also did not respond to our questions.

News Source: 12punto