The dynamic kickboxing duo from Osmaniye, Mikail Çevik and Hüseyin Tarık Kalalı, have stayed determined despite the destruction of their homes in the Feb. 6 earthquakes.
Motivated to reach for their innate dream of competing in the International Kick Boxing World Cup held in Istanbul this May, the two kickboxers strive to be awarded the national uniform.
Undeterred by their current living arrangements in a dormitory, they press on with their rigorous training and remain hopeful of achieving their goal.
Feb. 6 saw disastrous earthquakes in Türkiye's 10 provinces, including Pazarcık and Elbistan, leaving much of their respective kickboxing gyms in shambles.
The multipurpose sports salons, belonging to the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, have been placed under the supervision of national kickboxing trainer Yusuf Güngördü to aid in rehabilitating the affected kickboxers.
Athletes and their families, recently housed by the General Directorate of Credits and Dormitories (KYK), are gearing up for the Youth Kick Boxing European Championship in Istanbul from Aug. 24 to Sept. 3.
This tournament follows their success in the game held in May.
Seventeen-year-old prodigy Mikail Çevik, who has won the Turkish championship three times, shared a heartbreaking story with Anadolu Agency (AA), revealing that an urgent demolition decision was made for their home, which was tragically devastated by the destructive earthquake.
"There is a World Cup in Istanbul in May. So I hope that if I get a license there, I will represent my country with the national team in the European Championship that will be held in my country," he said.
Çevik stated that the earthquakes significantly affected him, and he could not recover for two weeks.
"We are striving to nurture our psychological well-being through sports. My younger brother and I have been motivated to encourage our friends and family to join us in our morning jogs, rigorous training and other activities to ensure our mental health is in its best state. This ambition has spread to me, and I want to take it to the next level and represent my country in the World Cup and European Championships, flying the Turkish flag proudly as a champion. This is especially pressing in light of the current situation in our country, and I want to honor the lives lost in the earthquake with the titles I will win," he added.
On the other hand, Hüseyin Tarık Kalalı said that he believes that Türkiye will overcome this great disaster.
Stating that they continued their work despite the earthquake, the 25-year-old athlete said, "The devastating earthquakes had a profound psychological impact on us all. As someone who is typically fearless, I was shaken to my core. In addition, I was overcome with fear for my family's safety, scared that something catastrophic could occur. Fortunately, our homes were taken, but nothing else – we are truly grateful."
Kalalı added that he wanted to be successful in both championships.
Their coach Yusuf Güngördü has gone the extra mile, setting up his own multipurpose sports salon to replace the badly damaged facility that was previously unusable.
He further reinforced their commitment to training by noting that they will continue to do so regardless of the circumstances.
Pointing to the importance of the World Cup in Istanbul, Güngördü said, "Our athletes, who will be crowned champions in the World Cup, will proudly represent our country with the national team in the upcoming European Championship. I am confident they will perform to the highest standards there too."