74 sailors from 14 countries competed in Kocaeli.

The 470 Junior World Sailing Championship held in Kocaeli witnessed the fierce competition of 74 sailors from 14 countries.

The Turkish Sailing Federation organized the ‘470 Junior World Championship’ in collaboration with Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and Darıca Municipality, with the contributions of Kocaeli Youth and Sports Provincial Directorate. A total of 74 sailors from 14 countries competed intensely in the championship held at Darıca Balyanoz Cove, creating thrilling moments. The championship is set to conclude on July 13.

“Reviving the vitality of the Gulf is our biggest dream”
Expressing their excitement, President of the Turkish Sailing Federation, Özlem Akdurak, stated, “We wanted to organize the championship in Kocaeli. Reviving the vitality of the Gulf is our biggest dream. Kocaeli Metropolitan Mayor Tahir Büyükakın provided us with great support. He agreed to make facility investments to ensure the championship runs smoothly and to increase the vitality in the Gulf, and sailors have gained access to a beautiful facility. With the support of Darıca Municipality, we are hosting the athletes from 14 countries worldwide at Bayramoğlu Sailing Club in Kocaeli. We hope to crown our country with a medal in this race held in our own home, our excitement is immense.”

“Our goal is to return from Paris with a medal”
President Akdurak mentioned that they return with medals from many championships every year, stating, “When we go to any championship, we set off with the direct goal of winning a medal. We are experiencing the joy of sustainable success in youth classes. Our goal is to win medals in sailing for our country. We went to the Tokyo Olympics with 8 athletes, and we are participating in the Paris Olympic Games again with 8 athletes. Our aim is to return from Paris with a medal. We will return with a medal in 2024, but when we look at our graph, we think that 2028 will be our year in sailing. This championship is also very important for the future Olympic athletes to showcase themselves.”