(Upper row, L-R) Barbara; Faruk Kaymakcı, Turkey’s Ambassador to Luxembourg; (lower row, L-R) Pinshan; Nils;
Credit: Elza Osmane, Chronicle.lu
On Saturday 18 July 2026, the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Luxembourg organised its first Turkish Delight Friendly Tennis Cup, bringing together more than 60 amateur players at Tennis Spora Club in Luxembourg-Mühlenbach.
The tournament attracted significant interest, with more than 100 people registering. However, participation had to be limited to 64 players (32 women and 32 men) due to the number of available courts.
The day began with a Turkish breakfast hosted at the embassy premises in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg before matches got underway at 14:00.
Players competed across eight courts in four timed 20-minute mixed doubles matches under a rotation format, with the highest-ranked teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals and final.
Speaking to Chronicle.lu, Turkey’s Ambassador to Luxembourg, Faruk Kaymakcı, explained that the tournament continues a tradition he started while serving in Brussels, Belgium where he organised the “Turkish Delight Friendly Tennis Cup” on three occasions.
"Sport brings people together. It helps to get rid of prejudices and it connects people," he said.
The ambassador noted that participants represented more than 25 nationalities, ranging from China and Canada to Turkey and India. He added that some players had even travelled from Brussels and Germany after taking part in previous editions of the tournament there.
According to Ambassador Kaymakcı, the event was open to all amateur tennis players aged sixteen and over, with the aim of bringing together "diplomats, civil servants of the European institutions but also many people working for international organisations and banks".
Commenting on the strong interest, he said the embassy hopes to organise an even larger tournament next year. However, the number of participants had to be limited this year due to logistical constraints and the capacity of the eight available courts.
"More than 100 people registered despite the school holidays but we were only able to accommodate 64 players. If we can find more courts next year, we may be able to welcome even more participants," he said.
The tournament concluded with an awards ceremony. Kadir Basköy and İpek Tekdemir claimed first place, followed by Ercan Bakır and Laure Felgen in second, Niels Slikker and Pinshan Chuang in third, and Sebastian-Rudy Cotae and Petra Lock in fourth. The winning teams received Turkish Airlines return tickets to Istanbul and tennis holiday packages at resorts in Turkey, while the organisers also raffled restaurant vouchers among participants.
Photo caption: Group photo
Photo credit: Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Luxembourg
