Türkiye targets finals in European team badminton championships

At the championship to be held in Istanbul from February 11 to 15, Türkiye will be represented by 12 athletes each in the women’s and men’s competitions, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

European team badminton championships begin in Istanbul

Having completed their preparations at the Kastamonu National Teams Camp Training Center, the national team’s Indonesian coach Endra Mulyajaya told Anadolu Agency that badminton is developing in Türkiye.

Stating that badminton is in a better position than in the past, Mulyajaya said, “I hope it will be even better from now on.”

Speaking about the team’s goals for the European Championships, Mulyajaya said:

“We have a major tournament in Istanbul. We are hosting it. I am confident we will achieve the best possible result. We prepared accordingly. Our hopes are high in the women’s category; I expect us to reach the final. In the men’s category, I expect us to reach the final or at least the semifinals. I would also like to thank the Badminton Federation and all the institutions in Kastamonu that supported us.”

Young athletes confident

National badminton player Buğra Aktaş said he is 19 years old and has been playing badminton for 11 years.

Explaining that he was introduced to badminton thanks to his sister, Buğra said, “We have the Men’s and Women’s Team Championships in our own country. This is a great opportunity. We want to represent our country in the best way possible. We want to represent our federation in the best way possible.”

Sinem Yıldız, also 19, said: “Badminton is a very enjoyable sport. I think its popularity will increase even more in the coming years. Because it requires a court, it can’t be played professionally everywhere. But it’s truly a very enjoyable sport. Our main goal, of course, is the 2028 Olympics. For this, we aim to compete in ranking tournaments. We aim to earn the highest possible points.”