Turkish gymnastics team proud of representing country

By Sinem Er

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Women's national rhythmic gymnastics team aim to take Turkish gymnastics to a next level with more achievements.

The Turkish team that won their first-ever medal at the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in late November is proud of bringing a gold medal to Turkey.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ulker Bagislayan, the general coordinator of rhythmic gymnastics national team, said that the team was formed with the support of the federation.

"We will fight for getting a quota [for Olympics] in May and June 2021, and if we get a gold medal later, we will write a history," Bagislayan added.

The team captain Duygu Dogan said the team continued their work very intensely during the coronavirus period.

"We continued working hard during the coronavirus period, we went into quarantine in March, and we held training sessions at home," Dogan said.

Azra Akinci, another member of the team, noted that she has worked with the team since 2016 and before the championship, they doubled their training during the one-and-half-month camp.

On Nov. 28, the Turkish team -- Duygu Dogan, Azra Akinci, Peri Berker, Nil Karabina, and Eda Asar -- defeated Ukraine in 3 hoops, 2 pairs of clubs for the first-ever medal in Euro championships.