Olympic Support to National Swimmer Emre Sakcı

Operating in the pharmaceutical industry for 109 years straight with the objective of healing life, Abdi İbrahim has become the main sponsor of H. Emre Sakcı, our record-breaking national swimmer who will be representing Turkey in the Tokyo Olympics. Having signed a 4-year sponsorship agreement with H. Emre Sakcı, our record-holding athlete in national and international breaststroke, Abdi İbrahim Chairman Nezih Barut said "As Turkey's national and leading pharmaceutical company, we have decided to support athletes who have the potential to earn medals for our country by competing in swimming, one of the Olympic sports branch, in international contests and especially the Olympics. We have signed a long-term sponsorship agreement with Emre Sakcı who has stood out with his steady success in swimming and we will be his main sponsor for 4 years, including the Paris 2024 Olympics. We will continue our support to ensure that more Turkish athletes participate in the Olympics and thus achieve more victories for our country in the area of sports." 

The unrivaled leader of the Turkish pharmaceutical industry for the last 19 years, Abdi İbrahim has once again broken new ground in the country's pharmaceutical industry by implementing a brand new social investment program that focuses on four main topics including "Health and Sports", "Social Innovation", "Raising Scientific Awareness in Youth" and "Volunteering Projects for Social Needs" with the aim of creating value in society by healing the lives we touch. In the framework of this program to be implemented as of 2021 with a long-term perspective, Abdi İbrahim has decided to support Emre Sakcı on his path to success with a four-year long-term sponsorship agreement in the scope of this program, the latter being one of the most important components of the company's sustainability strategy.

Emre Sakcı started swimming at the age of three and was selected to the A National Team at 15. He broke numerous records in national and international competitions throughout his career and is currently a licensed athlete of Fenerbahçe Sports Club. The sponsorship agreement with our record-breaking swimmer who will be representing Turkey in the 100-meters breaststroke category at the Tokyo Olympics that were postponed to July 2021 has been signed at Abdi İbrahim's headquarters in Maslak. 

Nezih Barut: "We are determined to give wing to our youth and to be by their side" 

Speaking about the sponsorship agreement, Abdi İbrahim Chairman Nezih Barut drew attention to the spirit of the era we are currently going through and stated "The pandemic has clearly proven that the biggest power of countries resides in the success stories they write at the international level. With every step we take, we take on the responsibility of glorifying our country brand. As Turkey, we need more success stories in every field, sports included."

Indicating that achievements in sports are some of the most efficient tools in contributing to a country's brand, Nezih Barut continued "The Olympics are the most powerful scene for countries to prove themselves. Being able to get on that stage and to compete there requires immense resolution and resilience. We are determined to stand by our young athletes who demonstrate that determination. As Abdi İbrahim, we take the first step with our national swimmer Emre Sakcı and plan on continuing with successful swimmers who pass the Olympics A threshold."

Affirming that Abdi İbrahim has been the unrivaled leader of the Turkish pharmaceutical industry for the last 19 years, Nezih Barut said "However, we never rest on our laurels. With the awareness that each and every success we achieve on the international scene will contribute to our country brand, we advance with discipline, resolution and determination on our path of becoming a global and sustainable company. As Abdi İbrahim, we develop social investment programs to show the young that they do have the capacity to change our country first, and then the world, and that they can look towards the future with hope, and we strive to provide them with various opportunities. Our greatest motivation in supporting dear Emre is the fact that he will be bearing our country's name and elevating our flag to the highest level in all lanes during the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 and in Paris in 2024, and in World and European championships in the four years to come. We are proud to be supporting those who share our passion, courage and responsibility, especially young people who are the guarantors of the future. I am sure that starting from the Olympics to be held in July, we will all witness the fruits of Emre's resolute and disciplined labors. I wish that just like Emre, many more young Turkish athletes participate in the Olympics and that Emre becomes a strong role model and example, shining like a North Star with the successes he will achieve."

Expressing his delight in Abdi İbrahim -Turkey's leading pharmaceutical company, becoming his sponsor- Emre Sakcı stated "Abdi İbrahim's sponsorship support is an important source of motivation for young athletes like myself. I had the opportunity to get more acquainted with the company's vision since the managers of Abdi İbrahim contacted me. I noticed an incredible alignment between my personal sportive targets and those of Abdi İbrahim. This excited me a lot. I would like to thank them for instilling in me many significant values that are a part of the Olympics spirit and especially for supporting an athlete who has set himself goals in the international arena. The fact that their support extends to four years is an incredible source of confidence and motivation, and it brought with it a sense of responsibility as well. Now, with the support and opportunities that my main sponsor Abdi İbrahim will be giving me, my main goal is to give my best for my country in all competitions I will be participating in this year, particularly the Tokyo Olympics. I would like to extend my gratitude to first and foremost Nezih Barut and to all the Abdi İbrahim family who has been breaking new grounds for the last 109 years for believing in me and for sharing my path to success and my enthusiasm for achievement."

Who is Emre Sakcı? 

Our national swimmer Emre Sakcı was born on November the 15th 1997 in Izmir. He started swimming at age 3 and was selected to the A National Team at the age of 15, representing our country in the swimming branch. Sakcı has been an athlete of Fenerbahçe Sports Club since 2010 and has been training under Türker Oktay and Bahar Oktay. 

Emre Sakcı represented Turkey in the 2013 Utrecht European Youth Olympic Summer Festival, the 2015 Baku Islamic Solidarity Games and the 2018 Tarragona Mediterranean Games. He was the first Turkish athlete to break the world record in youth with a score of 26.67 during the selections for men's 50-meters breaststroke in the 2015 Turkey Inter-Club Short Lane Swimming Championship.

Ranking fifth in the world classification with a score of 25.89 in men's 50-meters breaststroke category during the World Short Lane Swimming Championship organized in China in 2018, our national swimmer won the silver medal in men's 50-meters breaststroke at the Europe Short Lane Swimming Championship held in 2019 in Scotland, thus winning the first medal in Turkish sports in this area.

Sakcı broke the European record and ranked first with a score of 25.50 in the 50-meters breaststroke branch in the International Swimming League organized in Budapest in 2020. Later on during the League, he once again broke his own European record and ranked first once more with a score of 25.29 in 50-meters breaststroke. His score made history by being the second fastest score in the world. He then went on to break another European record in the 100-meters breaststroke branch with a score 55.74 and broke 3 European records in the international swimming league.

Emre Sakcı will be representing our country in the 100-meters breaststroke during the Tokyo Olympics that have been postponed to July 2021 due to the global pandemic.