Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) has added another achievement to its success in the international sports arena. Tuana Gülenay, a national judoka and a student in the Department of Coaching Education at the Faculty of Sport Sciences, won the bronze medal in the women's -78 kg category at the Qingdao Grand Prix 2026 held in the People's Republic of China, bringing great pride to both Türkiye and Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University.
Held in the city of Qingdao, People's Republic of China, between 26–28 June 2026, the Qingdao Grand Prix 2026—one of the world's most prestigious judo tournaments—featured fierce competition among nearly 500 elite athletes from 57 countries. Competing against some of the world's top judokas, national athlete Tuana Gülenay finished third in the women's -78 kg category, claiming the bronze medal and once again making a name for herself on the international stage.
She Reached the Podium by Defeating Some of the World's Strongest Opponents
Delivering outstanding performances throughout the tournament against high-level opponents, Tuana Gülenay advanced to the semifinals after defeating Zhenzhao Ma of China, Alina Boehm of Germany, and Maidelines Gorguet-Veranes of Romania on her way to the medal rounds. In the semifinal, the national athlete faced Mizuki Sugimura of Japan. She then defeated Great Britain's strong judoka Emma Reid in the bronze medal contest to finish the tournament in third place and secure the bronze medal.
Rector Özölçer: "Our Valuable Student Tuana's International Success Is a Source of Pride for Our University and Turkish Sport"
In his remarks on the achievement, BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer expressed the following:
"It is a great source of pride and happiness for us that our national judoka, Tuana Gülenay, a student in the Department of Coaching Education at our University's Faculty of Sport Sciences, has successfully represented both our country and our University by winning the bronze medal at the Qingdao Grand Prix 2026, one of the world's most prestigious tournaments.
This valuable international achievement of our student is a concrete reflection of the development of Turkish sport, the competitive strength of our young athletes on international platforms, and the importance our University places on sports. As a University, we regard it as one of our foremost goals for our students to achieve international success in science, education, culture, arts, and sports, and we take great pride in seeing them represent our country in the best possible way in every field.
With the qualified academic staff and strong educational infrastructure of our Faculty of Sport Sciences, we continue to contribute to our students' national and international achievements. I believe that this meaningful success will inspire all our students, especially our young athletes, and encourage them to pursue even greater goals.
I would like to express my gratitude, first and foremost, to our Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, and the esteemed members of the Ministry for their strong support and valuable contributions to Turkish sport. I would also like to extend my thanks to the President of the Council of Higher Education, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and the entire Council of Higher Education family for their valuable support toward the development of our higher education institutions.
Furthermore, I would like to thank the President of the Turkish Judo Federation, Sezer Huysuz, the Turkish Judo Federation, and our national team coaches for their valuable contributions to strengthening Turkish judo's position in the international arena and for the significant role they have played in the success of our national athletes. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to the esteemed academics and coaches of our Faculty of Sport Sciences who have contributed to our student's development. I sincerely congratulate our national athlete and valued student, Tuana Gülenay, and wish her continued success in both her sporting career and higher education journey."
