Turkish Fencing Federation taking steps to improve fencing in the country: Fencing Update
In Istanbul, Müminhan Bilgin, President of the Turkish Fencing Federation (TFF), informed on Sunday, June 5, about the recent steps being taken by the federation to improve fencing in Turkey.
Two projects are already underway that will help promote the sport within the country. He stated, “We will open a big fencing training facility in Ankara on a large site which we got from the Youth and Sports General Directorate (GSGM). It will have around
hundred rooms in it and it will be open within one or two months.”
The second project targets the school-going children who will be introduced with fencing in order to train young fencers for the country.
According to Bilgin, there is a dearth of trainers and referees for the sport all across the globe and Turkey is also experiencing this shortage. Therefore, the federation conducts three to four seminars on an annual basis for motivating and educating such
trainers and referees.
He emphasised that despite of having a long sport history fencers from Turkey, the country could not prove themselves in the international events.
However, one of the historic and biggest achievements for the TFF was in 2009 when Hakan Akgün performed in the Junior and Cadet World Fencing Championships, held in Belfast. Akgün was seeded 14th among the total 72 participants in the competition.
Moreover, in the same year the World Fencing Championship took place in Turkey after 38 long years. Previously, in 2008 Mediterranean Fencing Games, the Turkish national fencing team ended up at the 4th seed, being beaten down in the play-off round.
Bilgin is positive about the future of fencing in Turkey after all the developments underway. Bilgin stated that each year almost 100 international fencing competitions are organised all over the world. After every two to three weeks, the federation sends
fencers and teams to take part in these events.
TFF used to stand amongst the top five of the lowest earning federations within the country. However, it has now risen to be in the top six Turkish sports bodies. Bilgin has faith that the Turkish fencers will surely regain lost glory and come out victorious
at the European and World level.
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