The Turkish women's national curling team is determined to ascend to the ranks of the world's top six teams at the upcoming World Women's Curling Championship – their second appearance at the tournament – in pursuit of valuable points for the Olympic Games.
As the World Women's Curling Championship approaches in Sandviken, Sweden, on March 18-26, Turkish national curling players are honing their skills in Erzurum to ensure their success among the 12 participating countries.
From time to time, male members of the national team lend their support to female athletes, accompanying them during their training sessions.
The women's national teams, ranked among the top 10 in Europe and the top 13 across the globe, have their sights set on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, aiming to secure one of the top six spots in the competition.
Fatih Ağduman, the team's coach, informed Anadolu Agency (AA) that they are operating at an excellent level as a team.
"We have been exceptionally successful in the women's competition, having moved up from Category C to Category A in the past two years. Currently, our team is ranked among the top 10 in Europe and the top 13 in the world. We will be fielding a team of 12 players in the upcoming season, building on our success in Europe last year. In the World Championship last year, our Scottish team earned the title of Kovid, with 12 matches played, two wins and one win by forfeit. Our ambition for the upcoming season is to achieve at least five or six wins and finish in the top six or top eight, which would qualify us to compete in the Olympics," he said.
He further asserted that their performance in the special tournaments in Switzerland last January was sub-par, yet they managed to achieve noteworthy results thereafter.
"There is no question that our competitors are at a good level; however, we have been pushing ourselves to reach a higher level of performance. We have been dedicating seven to eight hours a week to our training, and while the results of each match may vary from week to week or month to month, that effort has us well-prepared to take on the competition. Our goal is to remain in the top six and make everyone proud, and with the hard work and dedication that we have put in, I believe we are more than capable of achieving that goal and maybe even capturing a medal, " he added.
Team captain Dilşat Yıldız expressed her conviction that the team will emerge victorious from the championship.
"Everything continues at full speed after returning from the European Championship in November. We continue with double training in the morning and evening. Our goal is to get a degree in the world and for this, we work individually and as a team. I hope everything will pay off," she said.
"This year, our goal is loftier than ever before: We are aiming to make a top six ranking and collect points for the Olympics. Our commitment to excellence and success is unwavering, and we are prepared to go to the greatest heights to achieve it. Furthermore, we are striving to become world champions in every category; a goal which we are determined to make a reality," she added.