Sema Nur Yüksel Wins Gold at Dakar 2026

National judoka Sema Nur Yüksel won Türkiye's first gold medal at the event on the second day of Dakar 2026. The 16-year-old athlete was hosted at the Embassy by Türkiye's Ambassador to Dakar, Dilşad Kırbaşlı Karaoğlu. Yüksel and her delegation met with Embassy staff and representatives of Turkish institutions.

Speaking to a reporter from the Anadolu Agency, Yüksel said that the raising of the crescent and star flag and the reading of the Independence March filled her with great joy. She said she started judo at the age of 7 thanks to the coaches at her school and has been training in the sport for about 8 years. She added that after winning a European title and two world silver medals, she has now added a Youth Olympic Games gold medal to her career.

Yüksel said that her success in Dakar laid a solid foundation for the Olympics in the future. The athlete, who will compete in the under-21 category next year, said she wants to win gold at the European and world championships as well as at the European Youth Olympic Festival. She said her greatest goal is to have the Independence March read again at the Olympics.

Yüksel stressed that she is happy to take part in an Olympic event held for the first time on the African continent, and said Senegal is a very good host. The athlete thanked her coaches, especially Ümraniye Mayor İsmet Yıldırım, who have trained her since she was young.