Young Turkish national wushu athletes, who have achieved various rankings in European, Balkan and world championships, are aiming for new successes in the upcoming international competitions.
At the Wushu School Sports Türkiye Championship held in Sakarya on May 22-24, national athletes, including 17-year-old Kaan Küçükakyüz, 14-year-old Ayşe Sina Coşkun, 14-year-old Enes Karadeniz and 11-year-old Hamza Çakmakçı, are reveling in the pride of their championship titles.
Preparing for the 4th World Taichi Quan Championship in Singapore from Aug. 21-28 and the 9th World Junior Wushu Championship in Brunei from Sept. 22-30, these athletes aim to add new achievements to their careers, bringing pride to Türkiye.
Starting wushu at the age of 4, inspired by her older sister, Ayşe Sina Coşkun told Anadolu Agency (AA) that she has developed herself in the sport she loves.
Coşkun, who swiftly rose to success in European and world championships, shared her excitement: "I secured three first places in Bulgaria and earned a world championship title, along with a second place in China. It is an incredible feeling. Standing there as the Turkish national anthem played was truly unforgettable. You get to meet new people and competitors. It is a beautiful experience. I aspire to participate in more world championships, proudly sing the national anthem, and encourage everyone to start sports at a young age."
Having been introduced to wushu by her mother's friend seven years ago due to her active nature, Kaan Küçükakyüz noted that he became third in Türkiye in his first competition in Ankara.
After taking a break from sports for two years, he restarted and gradually improved himself, increasing his enthusiasm.
Kaan Küçükakyüz said: "Thank God, I joined the national team. I plan to achieve much more in the future."
Küçükakyüz, who became first in the "nanquan" category at the European Championships in Russia, stated: "My biggest achievement was becoming first in the 27-person category at the 9th World Kung Fu Championship held in China in 2023. Later, we became world champions as a team in the adult category. I have two world championships and four European championships. Waving our flag in other countries, singing the Turkish national anthem made me proud. That's why I liked this sport even more. How happy is he who can say, 'I am Turkish.'"
Küçükakyüz stated that he started sports enthusiastically, set goals for himself after joining the national team and with the support of his coaches Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz and Zeynep Makbule Akyüz, he reached these levels.
Kaan Küçükakyüz said: "I achieved my first goal of becoming a world champion. With the permission of Allah, I want to become a champion in the Olympics among universities. Why not if I work hard enough? Everyone comes here by working hard."
Enes Karadeniz, who was directed to wushu by his father at the age of 7 to expend his energy, mentioned his two Balkan championships, three European runner-up titles and numerous Turkish rankings.
Expressing that being a national athlete is a great feeling, Karadeniz stated that wushu is one of the best sports in the world.
Enes Karadeniz said that he wants to wave the Turkish flag at the highest levels and expressed his desire to become a world champion.
Hamza Çakmakçı, the European champion, started sports thanks to his sister who used to practice wushu, stating that he aims for a world championship.