Newsletters
The men's national weightlifting team is training in Sakarya as it aims to secure individual and team medals at both the Mediterranean Games and the World Championship.
The national athletes, who are training at a hotel in the Adapazari district, are preparing for the championships under head coach Gokhan Kuscuoglu and coaches Mehmet Dogan, Mehmet Basol, and Cumali Tekin.
Five athletes will represent Türkiye at the Mediterranean Games, to be held in Italy from Aug. 21 to Sept. 3, while 10 athletes will represent the country at the World Championship, to be held in China from Oct. 27 to Nov. 8.
Kuscuoglu stated that the team had been training in the city for two weeks and described the camp as productive.
He said the squad's main priority was a strong team performance at the Mediterranean Games, where Ferdi Hardal, Yusuf Fehmi Genc, Kerem Kurnaz, Hakan Sukru Kurnaz, and Muhammet Emin Burun are expected to contend for medals.
Looking ahead to the World Championship, which also serves as a key Olympic qualifying event, Kuscuoglu said the team was hoping Muhammed Furkan Ozbek would defend the world title he won last year, while Yusuf Fehmi Genc and Kaan Kahriman were among those aiming to secure Olympic qualification spots.
He added that he was pleased with the athletes' performance during the camp.
1 min read
Hakan Sukru Kurnaz, a 22-year-old world and European champion, said he took up weightlifting 15 years ago at the encouragement of his father, a former national weightlifter.
Kurnaz, who won the World Championship in Saudi Arabia in 2021, said the team's immediate priority was the Mediterranean Games, followed by the World Championship, where he hopes to secure an Olympic qualification spot. He credited the team's disciplined preparation and close attention from coaches for their progress.
Yusuf Fehmi Genc, a 24-year-old national athlete with four world and five European titles, said he began weightlifting around 11 years ago at the encouragement of his physical education teacher.
He said the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics remained the team's ultimate goal, though the upcoming Mediterranean Games in Italy was also an important milestone in that preparation.
Genc said the team was aiming for strong results at both events, including a gold medal for Türkiye, and hoped to secure medals both individually and as a team.
He acknowledged that tough competition lay ahead, saying the team was aware of its rivals' strength and was prepared to give its best effort to succeed.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
