Turkish Underwater Sports Federation Continues Its “Rebuilding” Efforts

Turkish Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF) President Kadir Sağlam said that they have rebuilt the federation, which was founded in 1980, over the last 3 years. Sağlam said they restructured the lifesaving branch, prepared three separate books in this field, and moved the diving community to a digital system.

Sağlam said that for the first time in Turkey, the federation set up its own hyperbaric chamber, and that in lifesaving they became European champions for the first time in their history. Saying that they have become a federation the world follows, Sağlam recalled that they were elected to the executive board of the World Underwater Activities Confederation (CMAS) and took on the role of vice president. He stressed that this development increases Turkey's international representation.

Sağlam said they received confirmation from the international confederation that lifesaving will be included in the Olympics. “This will give our federation a very serious boost,” he said. He explained that they place importance on training activities to prevent drowning cases in Turkey, and pointed out that negative incidents happen more often in inland waters and lakes. He said they have prepared a program to be submitted to the Ministry of National Education and are working on a water safety course for high schools and middle schools.

Sağlam noted that the federation has 2,700 licensed athletes and said that their goal is to make Turkey a country with a say in diving and lifesaving around the world. “I believe these goals will be achieved in a very short time, within 2 to 3 years,” Sağlam said, adding that they could hand over this seat to their future colleagues with peace of mind.