Rising Number of Weightlifting Athletes Fall During Covid-19 Pandemic
Turkish Weightlifting Federation sees increase in licensed athletes
The Turkish Weightlifting Federation has experienced a decrease in the number of licensed athletes due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the federation’s President, Talat Ünlü, in 2019, there were 2,481 athletes registered, while in 2020, when the pandemic began to show its effects, this number decreased to 1,865. This was due to athletes who did not renew their licenses, which must be renewed every year. However, with a strong infrastructure, the weightlifting branch recovered, and the number of licensed athletes increased to 2,645 in 2022 after a partial increase in 2021.
Ünlü emphasized the federation’s strength and expressed satisfaction with their success in the Senior European Weightlifting Championships held in Yerevan, where the team won six gold, ten silver, and six bronze medals with the women coming first and the men third.
Ünlü also expressed that weightlifting is a promising branch for the future. “Increasing day by day, we estimate that the number of our athletes will be around 3 thousand by the end of the year. Our preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics are at a high level, and the important thing is to get the quota for the Paris Olympics. After that, we need to set a target on medals and work on it.”
The federation, which aims to win medals in both lanes, has its national team camp for the World Championship in Ankara. According to Ünlü, “our state makes a great contribution to our collective and strong preparation.” Nazmiye Muslu Muratlı won the championship in paralympics while Besra Duman came third. Currently, Muslu Muratlı is working in the national team camp, while Duman is battling disease.
