In the 17th in a series of profiles of the national winners of the inaugural Women's Leadership Awards, European Athletics speaks to Türkiye’s Nese Gundogan.
Throughout her career Gundogan has been a staunch advocate of an even representation of women at all levels of sports organisations. And it hasn’t just been talk, as she has walked the walk by balancing a successful sport career with that of a successful career as an administrator.
It is not wrong to say that she remains a guiding light for young women in athletics in her country today by continually working to involve more women and girls in athletics activities, recognising them for their achievements, and serving as a mentor to many of them.
As a young middle-distance runner Gundogan did not receive much support from her parents as they were concerned that it would hamper her education. But once she was selected for the national team and her female coach became a major influence in her career, she had plenty of support to move forward.
“Women and girls, starting from childhood, are not encouraged or motivated enough to be involved in sports. I believe that if we have more women as coaches, officials, referees, and administrators to be seen as role models, we will have more women in the sport,” she said.
Upon completion of her career as an athlete, Gundogan smoothly moved into both administrative and coaching roles in athletics. She currently serves as the general secretary of the National Olympic Committee of Türkiye.
Gundogan said she was lucky to receive strong support during her career transition.
“I received support from a few extraordinary and visionary leaders in Turkish sport. They not only helped me improve, but also encouraged and provided all assistance to get a better education, and to comprehend the value of sharing in life. I am glad that I have been able to pass it on to other women in the sport.”
At the same time she believes that encouraging women’s participation should be a part of the policy for sport organisations for any sort of tangible progress.
“If there are no specific policies for encouraging women, we might have fewer women in athletics in the future. Women, who are dedicated to athletics and who are making a change (coaches, referees, managers) should be recognised for their extraordinary duties and contributions. Recruiting more women and keeping them motivated are the key challenges that need to be addressed by sports organisations,” she added.
Gundogan worked her way up in athletics administration and served in a number of roles. She has been able to directly influence the number of girls participating in athletics in her role as an identifier of talent at schools, helping to recruit hundreds of girls to the sport. As a coach, Gundogan led elite women’s and men’s teams between 1985 and 1991, training many Turkish record holders and national team members.
Gundogan was elected as the first women executive board member, which catapulted her into her current role as the secretary general of the NOC of Türkiye. Gundogan has used her position to encourage the NOC to bring on board more women members. Today more than 30 percent of NOC commission members are women.
Gundogan realises that getting more women on board is a daunting challenge and requires efforts from all quarters.
“First of all, both governmental and non-governmental organisations should create and provide more opportunities for women to participate in sport, especially in developing countries. If we have more women practising sport at the grassroots level, then we can see more women in different areas of sport. In athletics, through federations and clubs, more women should be recruited as volunteers and professionals,” she said.
Gundogan remains optimistic about the future of women in sport even though there is plenty to be done.