695 athletes from 90 universities, in Burdur for the Kick Boxing Turkey Championship

The Ünilig Kick Boxing Turkey Championship organized by the Turkish University Sports Federation will be held between January 16–18, 2026, hosted by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. The competitions, which will be held at MAKÜ Sports Facilities and will be opened on January 16, Friday at 14:00, will see 695 athletes from 90 universities compete. With athletes, coaches, and administrators coming from all over Turkey, Burdur will witness significant sports activity this weekend.

Sports tourism spreads over 12 months of the year

Not just a championship; the organization, considered a strategic step in terms of sports tourism, also provides a significant contribution to the accommodation facilities in Burdur and the city economy. Teams and athletes coming to the city within the scope of university sports stay in hotels and facilities in Burdur, showing that sports tourism has gained a structure that spreads throughout the year, not seasonally.

In this respect, Burdur is not only a city where competitions are held; it is progressing towards becoming a center that grows the sports tourism ecosystem with its athlete-friendly infrastructure, accommodation capacity, and organizational experience. This process draws attention as a result of a holistic sports tourism approach carried out in cooperation with accommodation facilities, local administrations, and sports infrastructure stakeholders in Burdur.

11 national championships, thousands of athletes: 12 months of sports in Burdur

The Kick Boxing Turkey Championship is only the beginning of the sports organizations that Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University will host. According to the confirmed organizations in the 2025–2026 activity calendar of the Turkish University Sports Federation, MAKÜ will host the Turkey Championship in 11 different branches during the January–May 2026 period.

These organizations cover a wide range including kick boxing, karate, muay thai, arm wrestling, chess, wrestling, taekwondo, table tennis, sports drone, and men’s and women’s football championships. Considering the participation data from the previous year, thousands of athletes, coaches, and administrators are expected to come to Burdur for these 11 organizations.

Rector Dalgar: “We aim to make Burdur one of the permanent centers of sports tourism”

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar emphasized that the hosting mission undertaken by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University in the field of university sports carries a vision that supports not only sports but also regional development, and made the following assessment:

“We see university sports as a strategic area that supports youth, revitalizes the city economy, and spreads sports tourism throughout the year. The organizations included in the 2025–2026 calendar of the Turkish University Sports Federation and to be held at our university reveal Burdur’s institutional capacity in this field. Our goal is to make Burdur one of the continuously preferred centers in terms of university sports and sports tourism with our strong infrastructure, organizational experience, and stakeholder collaborations.”

The 12-month sports distribution reveals that Burdur has developed a hosting model that is not one-time but planned and continuous in terms of sports organizations; it also ensures that sports tourism gains long-term mobility spreading from winter to spring.