Turkish specialist Bedri Meriç has been appointed to a new position at the Azerbaijan Basketball Federation.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Meriç will serve as coordinator and head coach of the boys' national teams at U-14 level and below.
The Turkish coach has spent the past three seasons working as a head coach in the Azerbaijan Basketball League. He led Gəncə during the 2023/2024 season before taking charge of Şəki for the following two campaigns.
Under Meriç's guidance, Şəki won the bronze medal in the 2024/2025 Azerbaijan championship. In the 2025/2026 season, the team also reached the Azerbaijan Cup semifinals for the first time in the club's history.
Before moving to Azerbaijan, Meriç worked as an assistant coach in the Turkish Basketball League and as a head coach in the Turkish Basketball Second League. He also gained experience working with younger age groups at TED Ankara Koleji and Atakule Spor Akademiyası.
Speaking about his new appointment, the specialist said his main objective is to identify and develop young talent.
"Our main goal is to identify talented basketball players in the younger age groups, create conditions for their development, and prepare them to represent our national teams at higher age levels in the future. By working closely with the federation and the coaches of other age-group national teams, we want to build a long-term development system that serves the future of Azerbaijani basketball," Meriç said.
