These athletes, competing in sports ranging from football and wrestling to athletics, fencing, and cycling, were sent to the Olympics. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the 43-year-old young President of the Republic, knew that the only way to gain recognition and break out of diplomatic isolation after the War of Independence was through sports and the Olympics. In response to sports officials who warned, "We cannot win medals," he quoted Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics: "To participate in the Olympic Games is as important as winning a medal; read the founding philosophy of the committee."

For 100 years, we have been in pursuit of the five rings. This time, we have a quota of 102 athletes, 54 of whom are women, competing in 18 disciplines. Our athletes may shine in wrestling, archery, taekwondo, judo, gymnastics, and volleyball, potentially bringing home medals. In wrestling, boxing, and taekwondo, our athletes can put on a show. We might even win our first-ever medal in shooting if they hit their targets. It’s not just us saying this; the data bank of Paris 2024, Nielsen, has listed two Buse’s as boxing champions, as well as wrestlers Buse and Yasemin, and taekwondo athletes Nafia, Merve, and Kübra. Even our sailors have a "Why not?" attitude.

Isn't it wonderful that sports have moved away from a male-dominated spirit? So, where do these 102 athletes come from? Twenty-seven are from Fenerbahçe, 11 from İBB Spor, and 10 each from ASKİ-ENKA, Galatasaray, Kocaeli Büyükşehir, Eczacıbaşı, Vakıfbank, Beşiktaş, and Şavkar Gymnastics. We thank these communities for their significant payments to performance athletes, in addition to their nurturing role. Sports figure Kaan Ark announced some of these statistics on social media, while the conventional media remained silent!

Now, let’s talk about Paris 2024; it’s a boutique Olympics within the city. Beach volleyball will be played under the Eiffel Tower, and various events, including yesterday’s opening, will take place on the Seine. So much so that some officials of a discipline in which we expect medals have rented houses in the city instead of staying in the Olympic Village. They want to fully experience Paris 2024! However, let’s also mention that the French are in for a heated 15 days. Sabotage on train lines on the opening day and spectators storming the field at football matches signal potential troubles. We wrote last week about the need for extra protection for Israeli athletes to avoid a repeat of Munich 1972. We must also be prepared for incidents involving refugees and immigrants and the current heatwave affecting the region.