Türkiye's national athlete Hakan Akkaya, who recently clinched gold at the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup in the United States, announced on Thursday that he has his sights set on claiming the top spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Hakan Akkaya, the recipient of the gold medal in the epee division at the competition held in the United States' capital, Washington, expressed his happiness and bold ambitions at the Turkish Olympic Preparation Center in Ankara.
"At the end of a long preparation, I won a gold medal in Washington and had the honor of having the national anthem sung. At the end of the period that lasted for about three months, we reached the gold medal," he said.
Akkaya also described the drawback he faced during the competition saying: "I had a foreign coach who returned to his homeland, and I was left without a mentor for a brief period. Despite this, I was determined to keep up the hard work and it paid off. I was proud to receive the medal of the highest distinction, and I was delighted that it brought glory to my country. I am determined to repeat this success, and I have faith in my own talents to make it happen."
He also acknowledged that the fencing infrastructure in Türkiye is still in its infancy; yet with the increasing coverage the sport has been enjoying as of late, he is confident that it can have a great impact.
"I participated in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. Although the pandemic made it impossible to follow through with our training programs as we had hoped, we all stayed at home, determined to make the best of the situation. Now, my sights are set firmly on the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and I am determined to not just attend but to bring home a medal. I am confident that with the addition of competition points, I will be able to make it to third place. I will strive for the gold medal and I believe with all my heart that I can achieve it," he said.
Akkaya revealed that he has been actively engaged in wheelchair fencing for a full decade and is now determined to introduce the sport to a new generation of athletes.
"I have been working to attract new athletes to wheelchair fencing, recently connecting with a brother who had a health issue but, with my help, is now in the process of recovery and eager to begin wheelchair fencing. Furthermore, I'm developing a club project that will bring together disabled and nondisabled athletes, totaling over 200 fencers, and the necessary arrangements have been made to get the project off the ground," he said.
Addressing families with disabled children, Akkaya said, "Parents should strive to foster a sense of self-confidence in their children. Rather than trying to do everything for them, parents should encourage their children to take on tasks and responsibilities to strengthen their autonomy and sense of self-efficacy. We must remember that while physical obstacles may inherently limit children, it is important to not impose limits on them but rather to allow them to set their own. Doing so will empower them and allow them to develop a strong sense of self-confidence and self-reliance," he said.
"Fencing is an integral part of my life, as it not only allows me to be my true self, but also provides me with a platform to learn new things, meet fascinating people, explore the world, and gain success and financial stability. I'm glad to have taken this path, though I'm aware of the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead. Nonetheless, I'm confident in my courage and determination to give it my all. Furthermore, I believe in the philosophy of sports and the sentiment of (our republic's founder) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who said that an athlete should remain smart, agile and moral. Sports are indeed a highly competitive business, and it is only by respecting our rivals and pushing ourselves to the best of our abilities that we can reach the highest level of performance," he added.