13.05.2019
The World Skate Organisation teamed up with the Turkish Skateboarding Federation last week, to run the first ever International Technical Seminar for Coaches, Referees, athletes and Team Managers.
The first International Skateboard Seminar in the world, funded by Olympic Solidarity after the inclusion of skateboarding in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Programme, was attended by 27 participants from five continents.
The seminar was held at the Turkish Olympic Committees (TOC) headquarters, Olimpiyatevi, between 7-11 May 2019.
The five-day seminar provided athletes with the opportunity to improve their skills, master the latest techniques, knowledge and trends in the skateboarding world. Not only this, the participants also took part in theoretical training at the TOC's headquarters, and practical training on the skateboard course in Maltepe, district of Istanbul.
Speaking after the seminar, Turkish Skateboarding Federation Board Member Cenk Kulioğlu said:
“We are here to learn and practice the new rules which will be applied to skateboarding at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. As the Turkish Skateboarding Federation, our goal is to represent our country with a Turkish athlete at the Games. By opening new facilities across the country, we are aiming to train new athletes to an Olympic level. We would like to thank the TOC for helping us organise this great seminar at their headquarters.”
World Skate Organisation Technical Delegate and instructor, Martin Karas, said:
“This is the third time this year I have visited Turkey to practice skateboarding. The first time I visited was two years ago when we were building the Turkish Skateboarding Federation. I can see their progress every time I arrive. Of course, there are many things to do as a new federation, but they are still able to compete with other skateboarding federations that were also established at the same time. I believe that the Federation will improve significantly, especially after this very informative seminar.”
Turkish Skateboarding Federation National Team Coach, Baran Tansel, said:
“The last five days have been very productive. Here, together with representatives from five continents, we were very happy to learn about the latest information and developments in the Olympic Movement. We think that this seminar will play a big role in the development of skateboarding in our country.”