Sinan Erdem (May 9, 1927 – July 23, 2003) was a
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
volleyball player and long-standing head of the
Turkish Olympic Committee.
Biography
He was born on May 9, 1927 in
Manisa,
Turkey. After finishing the high school in
Galatasaray High School, he was educated in Law at
Istanbul University
, image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg
, image_size = 200px
, latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis
, motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü
, mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future
, established = 1453 1846 1933
...
.
Sinan started to play volleyball and
tennis already in 1943. He became a professional player in 1949, and transferred in 1951 to the volleyball team of
Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...
He played 12 times in the
Turkey national team and became its captain. After leaving the active sport, he served as the coach of the national volleyball team.
Between 1957 and 1967, Sinan Erdem served as the secretary general of the
Turkish Volleyball Federation. A member of the
International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) since 1966, he served as the head of the organization committee of FIVB between 1972 and 1984. He was the deputy secretary general of the Turkish National Olympic Committee (TMOK) since 1975, before serving as the secretary general from 1982 to 1989. In 1989, Sinan Erdem was appointed chairman of the TMOK, a position he had until his death.
He was elected to the board of directors of the Islamic Games Confederation in 1982, the
Mediterranean Games
The Mediterranean Games is a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every four years among athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The fir ...
and the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1988. During the Olympic games in
Seoul,
Barcelona,
Atlanta and in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, he served as a member of the IOC.
He died of
liver cancer
Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...
on July 23, 2003. He was succeeded by his wife Süheyla, his son Ziya and his daughter Zeynep.
Erdem's greatest ideal was, Turkey and
Istanbul host once the
Olympic Games. Turkey's biggest sport arena
Sinan Erdem Dome is named in his commemoration.
Honorary doctorates
* 1998 -
Anadolu University
* 1999 -
Marmara University
Awards
* Golden Order of the Ministry of the Sports of
France
* Loyalty Award of the International Olympic Committee
* Order of Japan awarded by
Emperor Akihito of Japan
* Order of France by the President of France
References
His biography
1927 births
2003 deaths
Sportspeople from Manisa
Deaths from liver cancer
International Olympic Committee members
Turkish men's volleyball players
Galatasaray S.K. (men's volleyball) players
Galatasaray High School alumni
Istanbul University Faculty of Law alumni
Turkish referees and umpires
Turkish volleyball coaches
20th-century Turkish people
{{Turkey-volleyball-bio-stub