Cycling eighth sports branch for blind in Turkey

The program had been initiated with a project for enhancing civil society dialog between Turkey and the European Union. The project, financed by the EU, first started cycling training for visually impaired individuals in pilot areas, where bicycles were sent and cyclists and trainers were educated.

Noting that blind athletes previously could participate in seven sports, goalball, futsal, athletics, chess, swimming, judo and weightlifting, in Turkey, Gören Kalpler (Seeing Hearts) Education Association and Sports Club head Erol Saylan said other countries have as many as 23 sporting options for their blind denizens, and the most common one is cycling. “The blind have not been able to try cycling in Turkey before. We presented a project to the EU within the framework of its Civil Society Dialogue Project,” he said.

Explaining that the Treasury’s central finance and contract unit had approved the project and presented it to the EU, Saylan continued: “We presented our cycling project proposal to the EU, and it was accepted. The project cost 78,000 euros. While 71,000 euros were covered by EU funds, the rest was met by the association. We began the project in July 2008 and completed it this month. We wanted our blind citizens to be able to cycle. Their participation in the sport is important socially, because the bicycles for the blind are used by two. While a slightly visually-impaired individual or a non-blind individual sits in the front chair, a visually-impaired one sits in the back. In that way, visually-impaired people will be able to be involved socially while having the chance to get out more.”

Saylan further noted that the bicycles aroused the interest of Turkey’s blind groups and added that 20 bicycles, eight of which are racing bicycles and 12 of which are used for training, have been purchased. “The eight racing bicycles have been distributed to six different cities around Turkey, including Ankara,” he said.

The main training centers are located in Denizli, İstanbul, Tokat, Adana, Erzurum and in Gaziantep.

The project will also help prepare Turkish cyclists to compete in the 2012 London Paralympic Games. “While the Blind Sports Federation had offered blind athletes the chance to compete in seven sports disciplines, now they have eight. Selection for the team to compete in the upcoming Paralympics was made in Ankara and 20 cyclists were selected. These cyclists will be given monthly allowances. I believe they will bring medals to Turkey,” Saylan elaborated.

The bicycles used by the blind are manufactured in Turkey. The association officially got the go-ahead to import the bikes but they preferred to produce them in Turkey. The specialty bicycles made in Turkey are not lesser quality than those produced in abroad,” Saylan said.

A physical education teacher at the Gören Kalpler Sports Club, Burcu Dalkıran, said the students are very interested in the bicycles, adding: “These kids spend more energy on bikes. It is almost mission impossible for them to spend it elsewhere; They perform very well when they are riding.”