President of the Turkish Shooting and Hunting Federation Gürsel Çolakoğlu on Monday expressed the federation's fervent ambition to see the Turkish flag raised triumphantly at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The triumphant national athletes who secured the 10-meter Air Pistol Big Men's Team title at the European Air Guns European Shooting Championship returned home to a hero's welcome.
At the tournament held in Estonia between March 5-13, the national team of Yusuf Dikeç, Ismail Keleş, and Buğra Selimzade delighted the home crowd by clinching the gold medal with a thrilling 16-14 victory over Germany.
Speaking to an Anadolu Agency (AA) at Istanbul Airport, Çolakoğlu expressed his pride over the team's success
"Winning a gold medal on the anniversary of the National Anthem was a special honor," he said.
"We were shivering with excitement and sheer joy as we commemorated our heroic martyrs and Mehmet Akif Ersoy on this wonderful occasion. It was an incredible feeling to receive our first gold medal as a team at the European Championships. With this success, we believe that more is yet to come – this is just the beginning of the season and we have already earned 6 medals in 4 competitions. Last year, we achieved a historical record of 26 medals, and we are confident that our friends are even better prepared this year. It would have been wonderful if we could have had the opportunity to camp a little more," he added.
Gürsel Çolakoğlu proudly said that Oğuzhan Tüzün, who was victorious in Doha, clinched the golden medal, while Safiye Sarıtürk Temizdemir and Rümeysa Pelin Kaya, survivors of the devastating earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, put up a remarkable fight in Qatar.
"Our daughters, Safiye and Pelin, emerged from the destruction unscathed, yet having lost their beloved relatives. When I asked if they wished to leave, they both agreed that it was necessary in order to start the healing process. Emerging as Olympic athletes, they placed fourth to our delight, and have since been met with an overwhelmingly positive response," he said.
Çolakoğlu was profoundly grateful to the ambassadors who had remained steadfastly beside them throughout their stay in both Doha and Tallinn
"I strongly believe that we will be even better prepared to take part in the Paris Olympics. Our daughter Ilayda has already earned her spot through her hard work and determination at the European Championships, where two quotas were available in each category. Aside from that, our players have earned the right to participate in the European Games, thanks to the points they gathered in the European Championships. Moreover, we can expect four more quotas to be given out at the World Championship. Even though we have some shortcomings and a lack of resources, we are on the right path and have been working collaboratively to achieve our goals," he concluded.