The Turkish national hearing-impaired men's and women's futsal teams are aiming to win in both categories at the 20th Deaflympics, which will be held for the first time in Türkiye.
Ahead of the Winter Olympics scheduled in Erzurum from March 2-12, the national teams have entered training camp, working hard to achieve success.
Making their debut in futsal at the Olympic Games, the Turkish team with the crescent-star emblem aims to crown the event with a championship, aiming to achieve a first in this field in Türkiye.
Ersan Tolukan, an Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University faculty member and the national teams' head coach, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they are preparing for the Olympics with 14 female and 14 male athletes.
Tolukan expressed the team's eagerness to train at the tournament venue, highlighting their successful track record, with the women's team achieving second place at the last World Championships and the men's team holding Olympic and World Championships titles.
He emphasized that anything less than first place in the upcoming tournament would be seen as a failure, as their ultimate goal is always to secure the top spot, especially aiming for a victory on home soil.
Tolukan highlighted their strategic approach to matches, noting that they begin with the women's team.
He emphasized the challenges of futsal compared to football, especially with tough opponents like Poland, England and Germany.
Tolukan mentioned their analytical training methods and expressed their goal of advancing from the group stage to reach the final and clinch the championship in the women's category.
He also highlighted the challenging men's team's "group of death," which includes strong teams like Italy, Spain and Iran.
Despite tough opponents, he emphasized their focus on high-level preparation.
Tolukan expressed confidence in winning both categories with belief and support from the people of Erzurum.
Captain Mahmut Aktaş expressed the team's goal of starting the tournament strong, highlighting his past experiences in various championships.
He mentioned the upcoming match against Italy and their aim to begin the Olympics positively.
Aktaş also emphasized the significance of competing in their own country and their determination to become champions in front of their home audience.
