In the province of Hakkari, one of the chosen locales for the Turkish Ski Federation's "Alpine Discipline Youth Development Project," children who have successfully passed the tryouts are being provided with the opportunity to receive ski training.
As part of this project to foster youth development in the alpine discipline branches of Hakkari, Bitlis and Erzincan, 750 children between the ages of 5 and 7 have been selected after a successful talent screening process.
Those who passed were admitted to a training camp, and 15 of them from Hakkari, who received material support from the federation, started their ski training at the Merga Bütan Ski Center, located at an altitude of 2,800 meters.
Sabri Demir, director of the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports Services and provincial coordinator of the project, informed Anadolu Agency (AA) that the federation is providing training to children at the ski resort.
"This project will serve to enhance the skiing youth setup in Türkiye. Our aim is to elevate these children to a higher level, represent our city in national competitions, and have them promoted to the national team. In the next phase, they will represent our country in the international arena. Our coaches will take care of our children and teach them individually, trying to prepare them in the best possible way. The project will continue throughout the year," he said
Cembeli Duran, a coach in the Turkish Ski Federation, expressed his confidence in the 15 children who were selected in the aforementioned provinces as a result of talent screening and stated that all the necessary skiing materials are given to the children by the federation.
"The youngest child in the training is 5 years old, and the oldest is 7 years old. Our ski center opened before many others. After a week of training, the children progressed to the technique we call parallel gliding. They are all very talented and learn quickly. There is a significant advantage to skiing in Hakkari, as our physical fitness is more inclined and suitable for the sport. Therefore, we believe that our success rate will be high. We continue to work on our tracks, which are prepared with natural snow," he said.
Hivron Gezer, one of the athletes, expressed happiness about learning skiing and shared, "We learned how to climb stairs, glide steeply, and ski down from the mountain. We come here by shuttle service. In the past, we couldn't stand up, but now we have almost learned how to ski. Our instructors take care of us."
Another athlete, Buse Kahraman enthused that skiing is an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding sport, and she feels privileged to have the opportunity to learn it.
