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Some 180 athletes from nine provinces took part in the third leg of the Türkiye Rafting Championship, held on the Catak River in the Catak district of Van, an eastern Turkish province roughly 1,260 kilometers (785 miles) east of Istanbul, near Lake Van and the Iranian border.
The three-day competition was organized by the Turkish Canoe Federation together with the Van Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports and the Catak District Governor's Office.
Athletes navigated a several-kilometer course on the river, which is known for its canyons and natural surroundings and is regarded as one of the country's leading rafting venues.
Water levels on the Catak River were elevated throughout the competition, adding intensity to the technical stages of the course.
Wearing helmets, life vests and other safety equipment, competitors launched their boats under the guidance of their coaches and repeated difficult sections of the route to sharpen their technique while building physical endurance and team coordination.
Over the course of the three-day event, participants also spent time in the surrounding area, which organizers and athletes described as cool and green compared to the summer heat elsewhere in the region.
The high water flow was cited by several competitors as both a challenge and a defining feature of the course.
At the closing awards ceremony, held in the garden of the Catak Government House, Catak District Governor Abdullah Sari addressed participants, describing sport as a unifying and connective force both globally and locally.
Trophies and medals were presented to the top-placing teams by ceremony officials following the remarks.
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