01 September 2016•Update: 01 September 2016
ANKARA
Starting next week Turkey aims to get more than 10 medals in the 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after a disappointing showing four years ago.
At the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Turkey won 10 medals, including one gold, five silver, and four bronze medals.
The country will compete in the 2016 games with total of 79 athletes, including 49 physically handicapped athletes, 29 visually handicapped athletes, and one with mental disabilities, called a special athlete.
The games start next Wednesday and will last for 11 days.
Arif Umit Uzturk, head of the Turkish Sports Federation for the Physically Disabled, said on Thursday that they would compete with 49 athletes in eight divisions.
He said they hope to better their win of seven medals from London 2012, saying: "We will do our best."
Abdullah Cetin, head of sports for the visually impaired, said that they had won three medals in London, and hope to at least double that this year.
Birol Aydin, head of the Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation, said Turkey’s Mihriban Kaya has become one of the world’s top young athletes.
"There are very few spots [in the Paralympic Games] for special athletes. Mihriban got in by reaching the top internationally and also becoming the youngest athlete in the top 10," he said.
Reporting by Ilknur Cetinbas : Writing by Fatma Bulbul
