Furkan Goltas – President of the Turkish Kurash Federation
It has been almost a year since I took over the leadership of the Turkish Kurash Federation. This period has been a year of trials, research and the first steps towards great goals for me and my team.
One of the main goals we set at the beginning of the path was to achieve high results in national and international competitions and to host the World Kurash Championship. To date, I can confidently say that we have accomplished approximately 70 percent of the tasks we set for ourselves.
Currently, the Turkish Kurash Federation has branches in 40 provinces and cities in our country. Tournaments of various levels, national championships and cup competitions are held every month among cadets, juniors, seniors and children. An average of 500-600 participants take part in these competitions each time. This means that the number of athletes has increased by 100 times compared to previous years.
It is noteworthy that the close support of the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Turkey and the government for Kurash activities has opened the door to great opportunities for us. Within the framework of this system, a number of practical measures are being implemented to widely involve young people in Kurash.
Our activities are not limited to competitions, but every month we organise special seminars and training courses for referees and coaches. This not only improves skills, but also ensures systemic development.
This year, a historic event is expected for Turkey – the city of Sakarya is planned to host the World Senior Kurash Championship. This is a very important and responsible initiative. Currently, the initial stage of preparations for the championship has been completed. We are on the verge of receiving an official letter of approval from the International Kurash Association and the Turkish Ministry of Sports.
We are working with a number of partners and sponsors to organise the championship at a high level. Recently, a delegation from the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Turkey also got acquainted with our activities. The delegation, led by Consul General Mr. Aybek Razzokov, participated in the opening ceremony of the coaching courses and held a practical meeting with us on the further popularisation of Kurash in Turkey and holding the World Championship at a high level. I believe that this cooperation will become a solid foundation for our future achievements.
