European champion national shooters Şevval İlayda Tarhan and Yusuf Dikeç return home

The Turkish shooters, who topped the general classification by winning 4 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals at the championship in Osijek, Croatia, arrived in Ankara via Istanbul.

Athletes Şevval İlayda Tarhan, Yusuf Dikeç, Şimal Yılmaz, Esra Bozabalı, İsmail Keleş, Mustafa İnan, Mert Nalbant, Turkish Shooting Federation President Murat Kocakaya, and coaches Osman Erdinç Bilgili and Murat Örgün were welcomed with flowers by federation officials and their families at Esenboğa Airport.

Winning 3 gold and 2 bronze medals at the event, Şevval İlayda said, "We were expecting success, but this much was a surprise even for us. We experienced firsts in history. For the first time, a female athlete won 5 medals in Europe and became a champion. It was also the first time a championship was won in mixed teams. It was a tournament where we experienced many firsts. It was very enjoyable."

Yusuf Dikeç, who earned 2 gold and 1 silver medal at the championship, also stated, "The competition went well. As a team, we showed that our success at the Olympic Games was no coincidence. We worked very hard, and the pressure of the burden on our shoulders was always with us. Since our goal is the 2028 Los Angeles Games, we are continuing to work without taking any breaks. We will try to make our country proud again."

Federation President Kocakaya said, "For the first time in history, Turkey has become a European champion. It is a proud picture and the beginning of a new era for Turkish shooting. I congratulate our clubs, our coaches, and most importantly, our athletes who contributed to this. As a federation, we will always strive for better. We will try to become a branch that is a source of pride in Turkey."

The other athletes in the delegation traveled from Istanbul by air to their respective home cities.

News Source: AA