Nearly 50,000 students across Türkiye are currently practicing judo in schools as part of a nationwide project led by the Turkish Judo Federation, its president has said, highlighting the sport’s rapid grassroots growth and Olympic ambitions.
Speaking to reporters, Sezer Huysuz said the school-based judo program, launched in 2019, is now being implemented in 50 provinces. “We started this project with 6,669 children. Today, nearly 50,000 students are practicing judo in schools,” he noted, adding that both the number of participating provinces and students will be increased gradually in the coming years.
Huysuz also underlined that the number of licensed judo athletes in Türkiye reached 200,000 in 2025. “Our goal now is to raise this figure to 300,000. As the number of athletes grows, competition will intensify and the quality of athletes will improve,” he said.
Pointing to the start of qualification points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games this year, Huysuz said the federation aims to expand its Olympic athlete pool. “We currently have 30 athletes in the Olympic pool. We want to increase this to 40-50 and shape the 2028 squad through strong competition,” he said.
He added that the national team, currently in camp in Italy, will also hold a training camp in Japan.
Expressing confidence in young athletes developed thorugh the system, Huysuz named Sinem Oruç, Tuana Gülenay, İbrahim Tataroğlu and Salih Yıldız as promising judokas.
“Our goal is to take 10 athletes to the Olympics and, God willing, win medals this time,” he said.
Huysuz also announced that a new federation training camp center, built with state support in the capital Ankara, is set to open this year.
The 48-room, 124-bed facility will operate year-round and include rehabilitation units, a library, restaurant and cinema hall.
