The Turkish Curling Federation is preparing for its busiest and most ambitious chapter yet, with national teams set to compete in the world’s top leagues across three categories in 2026, federation president Kenan Şebin said.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Şebin described 2025 as the most demanding year in the federation’s history, marked by an unprecedented volume of domestic competitions and international progress.
Türkiye staged nearly 750 tournaments in Erzurum alone, alongside numerous events in Samsun and Ankara, Şebin said, reflecting the federation’s expanding structure that now includes youth, senior, physically disabled and hearing-impaired categories.
The season also featured a groundbreaking initiative: the launch of Türkiye’s first-ever floor curling league, believed to be the first of its kind globally.
The inaugural Türkiye Floor Curling Championship drew 52 clubs and nearly 350 athletes, a milestone Şebin called a major step in broadening the sport’s reach nationwide.
While the federation’s long-term goal remains Olympic qualification, Şebin acknowledged the steep climb in a sport dominated by nations with centuries of history.
“Curling has been played globally since the early 1500s. Türkiye only began in 2009 and became fully institutionalized in 2016,” he said. “In just a decade, we’ve climbed into the world’s top 13. That’s a serious achievement, but staying there is even harder.”
One of Türkiye’s biggest challenges, he noted, is geography.
Most coaches and athletes are based in Erzurum, limiting the size of the talent pool.
Expanding facilities across the country, Şebin said, would accelerate growth and strengthen depth.
Despite those constraints, Turkish curling continues to deliver results.
The women’s youth national team finished third in the World Championship B division, earning promotion to the elite A group.
The men’s national team captured bronze at the European Championships and will compete in the World Championship B group under the World Curling Federation’s new A-B-C format beginning in 2026.
Türkiye’s senior women’s team, meanwhile, has competed in the top-tier A group for five consecutive years and will take the ice again in March at the World Championships in Canada. The youth women’s team will also compete at A level.
“In 2026, we will be competing in the world’s best leagues in three different categories,” Şebin said. “That’s a huge step for our federation.”
Looking ahead, Şebin signaled structural changes within the national teams, including a stronger emphasis on youth development.
“We need to invest more in young athletes,” he said. “Our goals never end. We’re committed to climbing higher in the world rankings year after year.”
Şebin also pointed to landmark victories as proof of Türkiye’s upward trajectory, including last year’s stunning 9-0 win over Scotland, one of curling’s traditional powerhouses.
“Winning 9-0 in curling is rare. Doing it against Scotland is even rarer,” he said. “This sport is unpredictable. Momentum, motivation, health, everything matters.”
The path forward, he stressed, is anything but easy.
“We’re not walking on rose-petal roads,” Şebin said. “We set 40- or 50-year goals and tried to achieve them in 10. That came with pressure. But we won’t abandon our targets. We’ve beaten major nations, won major matches, and this will continue. 2026 will be even better.”
