The Turkish national volleyball team has been scrutinized by marginalized groups for their sexuality, appearance and conduct. This gender-based criticism is an example for the still prevalent inequality of men and women in sports.

How do we now raise awareness about gender equality and contribute to ending gender

discrimination while motivating young girls and teens to participate in sports and feel pride while doing it?

In response to the criticism, a continent-wide campaign called "Sultans of Dance (SoD)" has been proposed. The campaign aims to champion gender equality by inviting girls and women to participate in a 30-day dance challenge, learning and sharing choreography performed by the Sultans. Participants are encouraged to showcase their dance videos on social media and a dedicated website, celebrating female success and equality.

The campaign will culminate in a video, created with AI assistance, featuring the Sultans and participants dancing together, to be released on the day of the Sultans' first game in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The phenomenon of Dance Challenges has been around for decades (Cleveland Shuffle, Macarena,…) but with TikTok this has taken off to new spheres. The dance offers the perfect medium to get the target audience to engage in physical activity, to integrate them in the campaign and to create something together: a community for all women in Europe.

The goal is to make sultans of the dance a recurring movement, which will be led every year by another professional women's sports team.