“Bright Future Awards” by 1907 UNIFEB: Here Are the Winners!

The "Bright Future Awards," determined by the votes of Fenerbahçe university students, have been presented to their recipients.

Daphne Koprulu Feb 11, 2025

The ceremony, held at the Caddebostan Cultural Center, was attended by board member Kemal Danabaş, Fenerbahçe head coach José Mourinho, team captain Dušan Tadić, and athletes from various amateur branches.

In his opening speech, Kemal Danabaş expressed his happiness about representing the club at such an event, saying, “It is a pleasure to be here on a night like this, representing our club. Being here makes all of us happy. I hope this ceremony continues as a tradition.”

At the ceremony, where awards were given in 21 different categories for 2024, Fenerbahçe head coach José Mourinho received the “Project of the Year” award on behalf of the 1907 ÜNİFEB initiative “Our Dreams Are One for Children.” Mourinho commented, “I have worked in four different countries and learned the language in each one quite easily, but I haven’t learned Turkish because my translators are too good. This award is not for me—I do not deserve it. This is for our club because we are a great club, taking amazing initiatives. I have only been the face of it. So, this award belongs to our club.”

The Portuguese coach concluded his speech with the following remarks:

“Whenever I move to a new country, I embrace it and try to learn about it. The foundation of a country is its children. I am very happy to be part of this project. The tragedy that occurred in this country has affected every single person. When it comes to children, it touches everyone’s hearts even more deeply. I love understanding how to appreciate the country I live in and its culture. But if there is something I don’t like, I fight against it. I do not want the children growing up in this country to be raised in a corrupt sporting environment. The only way to fight this is by competing fairly and cleanly.”

Dušan Tadić, who was named “Male Footballer of the Year,” also shared his thoughts:

“I am grateful. Every award is important for becoming a better athlete, person, and teammate. It is wonderful to be here with you all. It is also great to be together with athletes from different branches. This shows how big of a family Fenerbahçe truly is. Succeeding in so many sports is something not many clubs can achieve.”

Nigel Hayes-Davis, the “Male Basketball Player of the Year,” delivered his speech in Turkish, saying:

“I am happy to be here. This event is fantastic—thank you to everyone. I am very grateful to receive this award.”

Eda Erdem Dündar, named “Female Volleyball Player of the Year,” also expressed her emotions:

“I am so happy to be here with you all today. For 17 years, I have felt the pride of standing together through good and bad times. As long as there are passionate, dedicated Fenerbahçe fans like you in this family, our future will be bright. I sincerely thank the ÜNİFEB family for considering me worthy of this award. I am proud to be a Fenerbahçe fan.”