Turkish wrestlers to fight for Olympic quotas

By Halil Ibrahim Avsar

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish wrestlers will compete in the 2021 European Wrestling Olympic Qualification tournament beginning Thursday for a spot at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Athletes will compete in the men's freestyle, Greco Roman and women's freestyle, and Turkey will be featured in 14 weight classes.

Soner Demirtas and Suleyman Karadeniz shared their hopes with Anadolu Agency on the tournament to be held in Budapest, Hungary on March 18-21.

Demirtas, who won bronze at the Rio Games in 2016, said that Turkish wrestlers are ready for the qualifiers.

"We will fight in Hungary to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. There was no competition for a year due to the pandemic,” he said. “We went to Ukraine for the tournament ahead of the camp and received good results. We have been well prepared for the Olympic qualifiers."

Four Turkish wrestlers will compete in the freestyle category.

Demirtas said two wrestlers received quotas at the World Championship in the freestyle category and they hope to earn four more quotas for the Tokyo Olympics.

Karadeniz vows to do his best in the competition.

Having previously won the 92 kg competition at the European championship, Karadeniz will compete in the men's 97 kg freestyle in Hungary.

"I feel ready. I hope I will represent my country in the best way," he said.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli