The Turkish national karate team, currently in camp in Ankara, is aiming for gold at the European Karate Championships in Croatia from May 8 to 12, 2024.
Adnan Şamdan, the head coach of the national team, expressed confidence in their preparations for the European Senior Karate Championships in Croatia.
He highlighted the country's strong lineup of 11 women and 13 men athletes poised to compete in 16 categories at the upcoming European Championship.
Expressing confidence in their preparation and facilities, he emphasized their goal of becoming the overall European champions as a team.
Despite narrowly missing out on gold last year, Türkiye aims to rectify its shortcomings and secure first place with gold medals this year. The team comprises experienced athletes, including European and World Champions and Olympic medalists, with hopes of returning as champions.
Şamdan's colleague, Ertan Tunç, highlighted the national team's goal of winning the championship, noting their consistent performance in securing top-three spots in Europe.
He expressed satisfaction with their results in various competitions and emphasized the team's good shape and preparations.
Tunç also mentioned their focus on the upcoming World Team Championships after the European Championship.
Tuğba Yakan, a national athlete with notable achievements including the World Karate Championship title, will represent Türkiye in the 55 kg. category at the European Championships.
She expressed confidence in her preparation and aims to win gold medals in both team and individual kumite events.
Eda Eltemur, another Turkish athlete, highlighted her success at the 2022 Senior European Championship and her previous wins in various competitions.
She emphasized the increasing prominence of women in combat sports and expressed her goal of winning the Senior European Championship for the second time, along with aiming for a medal at the 2025 World Championship.
Burak Uygur, captain of the men's national team, expressed strong motivation for the championship in Croatia, emphasizing their goal to represent Türkiye at the highest level in Europe.
He highlighted the team's preparation and the competitive spirit of both the men's and women's teams.
Uygur, with a successful career including three European championships in individual competitions, an under-21 world championship, and a runner-up finish in the senior world championship, is determined to win the championship, a goal shared by every member of the Turkish national team.
