With unwavering dedication, the boccia national team for the physically handicapped perseveres in their journey toward clinching the coveted gold medal at the European Paralympic Championships, with all eyes set on Paris 2024.
Turkish Sports Federation for the Physically Disabled's (TBESF) Boccia Technical Board Chairperson, Arda Günay, told Anadolu Agency (AA) the significance of the championship as it provides Paralympics quotas.
Günay expressed his delight over the enthusiasm for the preparations and state-of-the-art facilities at Aksaray.
He affirmed that the Paralympic Preparation Center in Aksaray is a fitting arena for physically and visually impaired special athletes.
"Thanks to our instructors, we've come a long way since the establishment of the boccia branch in our country, and we have only accelerated our efforts this year by adopting new tactics. The championship to be held in the Netherlands is very important for us. We will get a quota by winning a gold medal. Also, we aim to be at the 2024 Paralympic Games, to be held in Paris," Günay said.
Günay shared that the team had received invitations to the European Paralympic Championship in the BC3 and BC4 categories.
He identified the Slovakian team in the BC4 and the Czech team in the BC3 categories as their most challenging competitors.
He noted they were studying their rivals' technical tactics by analyzing their videos to gain an edge.
The boccia national team trainer, Şefika Şeker Kaygusuz, revealed the team's confidence in securing the gold medal.
Kaygusuz recounted their previous achievements, where they had won two silver and two bronze medals by participating in three competitions after the last camps.
Kaygusuz shared they participated in the Aksaray camp with the European Championship with an aim to bring a gold medal home, saying: "We came back from the competition held in Italy and participated in 22 countries as the second in the world. This time we want to bring home the gold medal."
She added that their knowledge of their opponents and previous success had heightened their self-confidence.
Kaygusuz spoke of the team's training regimen, explaining that they couldn't engage in strength training because their BC3 class is a heavy group.
However, their BC4 class has excelled in close and far distances, and she hopes their efforts will produce fruitful results.
"We have high hopes that we will return with a gold medal this time. The medals we bring home motivate us to work harder," Kaygusuz concluded.
