Near East College students Barkan Cem Aykut, Akman Tüzünkan, and Erten Can Kasımoğlu, along with their teammate Özkan Mazhar, secured their tickets to Edirne for the Turkish national team selections at the “13+ Years Long Course Individual Swimming Qualifying Race” held at the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool.

The “13+ Years Long Course Individual Swimming Qualifying Race,” hosted by the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool, took place on April 10-11-12. Organized by the Northern Cyprus Aquatics Federation, the races saw athletes fiercely competing to meet the Turkish Swimming Federation national team qualifying standards.

Near East University Club athletes also achieved significant success in the races. Barkan Cem Aykut, a student at Near East College, broke the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) record in the 200m breaststroke in the 17-18 and 19+ age categories. Also, Akman Tüzünkan, Özkan Mazhar, and Erten Can Kasımoğlu qualified for the Turkish national team selection trials to be held in Edirne on April 17-19, having met the qualifying standards. The athletes are scheduled to travel to Edirne on April 17 to complete their preparations.

They will participate in the national team selection races in Edirne!

The most remarkable result among the achievements came from Barkan Cem Aykut. With a time of 2:31.01 in the 200-meter breaststroke, Aykut surpassed the Turkish Swimming Federation national team qualifying standard and also became the new holder of the TRNC 17-18 and 19+ age category records. Aykut also achieved times of 00:32.15 in the 50-meter breaststroke and 01:09.58 in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Among other athletes, Akman Tüzünkan made a time of 00:25.98 in the 50-meter freestyle and 00:29.34 in the 50-meter backstroke, as well as 01:03.46 in the 25-meter short course of the 100-meter backstroke. Özkan Mazhar also qualified for the national team with performances of 00:27.61 in the 50-meter butterfly, 00:29.57 in the 50-meter backstroke, and 01:01.57 in the 100-meter butterfly. Erten Can Kasımoğlu also drew attention with a time of 00:33.61 in the 25-meter short course in the 50-meter breaststroke race. The athletes who achieved successful results in the competitions have been entitled the right to participate in the Turkish Swimming Federation national team selections, marking another significant achievement. The swimmers, who will represent Northern Cyprus in the selections to be held in Edirne, will have an important opportunity to compete at an international level.

Avni Cankurt: “These results are an indication that even greater successes will be achieved in the future.”

Avni Cankurt, the Director of the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool, congratulated the athletes, stating that the achievements are a result of disciplined training, proper planning, and a strong infrastructure. “These achievements are not coincidental. The dedicated efforts of our athletes, the hard work of our coaches, and the modern facilities provided by our university form the basis of these results”, said Cankurt, emphasizing that the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool has become one of the important sports centers in the region.

Stating that the broken records and national team qualifying times are an important source of motivation for young athletes, Cankurt said, “We are extremely happy to see our athletes improve themselves in every competition and make new achievements. These results are an indication that even greater achievements will be made in the future.”