Visually impaired duo crosses Gulf of İzmir with canoe

Sports do not know any boundaries and to draw attention to the fact that the visually impaired can play any sport with the right guidance, two visually impaired young sportsmen crossed the Gulf of İzmir in a canoe over the weekend.

The event took place in the Gulf of İzmir en route from Bostanlı to İnciraltı, which is a 5.5 kilometer journey. The young sportsmen were escorted by their coaches and finished the route in an hour - including breaks.

Speaking to the press after the event, Süleyman Görece, one of the sportsmen, said they had a lovely time.

"It is good to be on the sea, rowing accompanied by the cheering of our loved ones and the audience," he said.

The other athlete, Furkan Kaplan, said he has been sailing for the last eight years and being on the sea is a lifestyle.

"The track was good and it was not a very long one. Being on the sea is freedom: There are no boundaries, nothing to bump into. It is good to work as a team," he added.

The head of the Accessible Youth and Nature Sports Foundation Övgü Kavas, said they aim to draw attention to the fact that disabled people can be successful even in the alternative sports.

"We kicked off this project to be able to reach more people. We are organizing sports camps with disabled people and we will organize more events as such," he said.