Mehmet Tüylü, the national athlete who clinched a gold medal at the 7th Deaf Wrestling World Championship held in Kyrgyzstan, was welcomed with exuberance in his hometown of Yusufeli in Artvin.
Having triumphed in the 86 kilogram category at the championship, which took place in the capital city of Bishkek from Sept. 2-11, Mehmet Tüylü returned to the embrace of Yusufeli.
Working as a firefighter in the Yusufeli Municipality, Mehmet Tüylü was greeted by a crowd of citizens at the Öğdem Viaduct, accompanied by traditional drum and zurna music, as well as the proudly waved Turkish flags.
From there, he embarked on a jubilant car convoy toward the town center of Yusufeli.
With cheers and celebrations echoing through the streets, the atmosphere was nothing short of electric.
Speaking at the celebration program organized in front of the Yusufeli Municipality, Mehmet Tüylü expressed his joy and pride in securing the championship.
"There are no words to describe the emotions I'm experiencing right now," he shared. "I've dedicated 20 years of my life to this sport, and I've now crowned it with a world championship. I had the privilege of hearing our national anthem play. It's an indescribable feeling."
Mehmet Tüylü also revealed his new goal, "My next objective is to become a champion at the 2025 Olympics."
Yusufeli Mayor Eyüp Aytekin emphasized that Yusufeli is a land of wrestlers and celebrated the success of every wrestler as a source of pride for the town.
"Our colleague Mehmet is one of us, our personnel, our firefighter, and our co-worker," Aytekin said. "On behalf of all the people of Yusufeli, I congratulate him. Waving our crescent and star flag, and singing our national anthem is a privilege not everyone gets. I congratulate him and his family for this achievement."
Mustafa Demirkıran, the Youth and Sports Provincial Director, expressed his delight at Artvin producing a world champion.
"We are very happy for our athlete's achievement," Demirkıran said. "We hope that our athlete continues to succeed and win medals in the future. I congratulate our athlete."
The program, which included the presentation of the Turkish flag and various gifts to the national wrestler, was enlivened with traditional folk dances.