İsmail Hacı Bekar, a senior student in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) and a national athlete, achieved great success by becoming the world champion at the 2025 World Arm-wrestling Championship, held in Albena, Bulgaria, between September 10-23, 2025.
Big Success Among 58 Countries
Competing in U23 65 kg, Bekar became the world champion by defeating his opponents both in the right and left arms in the championship, where 58 countries participated. As a source of pride for the Turkish National Team, the young athlete brought joy and pride to Türkiye and Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University family by proudly having the Turkish National Anthem played in the Championship.
Rector Özölçer: “We continue to advance in the international arena with the success of our valuable students.”
Emphasizing the pride they feel as Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University for the great success of our students in the sports fields, the Rector of BEUN, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, stated:
“Our valuable student İsmail Hacı Bekar, who participated in the 2025 World Arm-Wrestling Championship held in Bulgaria as a part of the National Team, added great value to our country and our university by making our names heard with the two gold medals he won in the World Championship. It is a sign of what we can achieve with discipline, persistence, and determination that our valuable student defeated all his opponents, both in the right and left arms, in the 2025 World Championship.
Our university provides our students with experienced academic staff, strong infrastructure, and qualified education programs for them to achieve success in international competitions. Bekar’s success is a source of motivation not just for our sportspersons at our university but for all students to be successful in their respective fields.
In this spirit, I would like to thank Minister of Youth and Sports Mr. Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak and the Ministry of Youth and Sports family, who are always behind our young national athletes, as well as all the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Family, particularly the President of YÖK, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, who is always with our students. I would also like to thank all the parties who contributed to the organization of the championship and the trainers of the young sportspersons.
I wholeheartedly congratulate İsmail Hacı Bekar, who made us proud with his two gold medals in the U23 65 kg in the 2025 World Arm-Wrestling Championship, and I believe he will represent our country in the best way possible on the international platforms.”
