THE TURKISH SPECIAL ATHLETES SPORTS FEDERATION
The sports activities for the handicapped people have been initiated in our country in 1980 by the Youth and Sports General Directorate, Sports Education Department Chairmanship with various handicapped grorups and those activities have continued until 1990.
In order to provide better facilities for the mentally handicapped people engaged in the sports activities and to harmonize the legal structure of the sports branch engaged in with the structuring of the European countries, a decision has been adopted to establish a separate federation for this brach of sports, whereupon the Mentally Handicapped Sports Federation has been established on December 22, 2000.
Tarık Bitlis has been appointed as the firs chairmen of the Mentally Handicapped Sports Federation.
The Mentally Handicapped Sports Federation has placed importance in the basic training activities as of the year 2001 with the institutions (*) that form the infrastructure of the athletes and efforts have been spent to spread the main sports areas includedi in the Olympic games country-wide.
As a result of the activities carried out with 4-5 athletes in the 1990'es, the Federation reached 8322 athletes and 151 sports clubs and 14 different branches of sports, including Athletics, Basketball, Horse Riding, Bocce, Bowling, Gymnastics, Fencing, Football, Futsal, Weight Lifting, Skiing, Table Tennis, Volleyball and Swimming, and adopted the name the "Turkihs Special Athletes Sports Federation" on 10 February 2009.
Counage, success, self-confidence...
The Federation is open to everyone that are above 8 years of age and diagnosed as "mentally handicapped or having learning disorders" by a competent institution or doctor, and has been organizing regular training and competition opportunities to the mentally handicapped youth and adults by creating various sports programs.
The Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation is aiming at following for the mentally handicapped youth and adults with the works and activities carried out :
(*) Country-wide : Attached to the Ministry of National Education, Special Education, Guidance and Consulting Services Generel Directorate.
- Mentally Handicapped Training-Practice School
- Primary Education and Work Schools for the Mentally Handicapped
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Attached to the Social Services and Children's Salvation Agency General Directorate
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- The Students enrolled to the official Rehabilitation Centers serving the mentally handicapped,
- The athletes training in the private foundations and associations attached to those establishments
| .......... | - To develep their physical conditions, skills and abilities, |
| - To display their courage, | |
| - To enable them to experience the happiness of success, | |
| - To help them strengthen their relations with the society |
Adopting the principle of enabling them to gain self-confidence and harmonize with the society, the Federation is aimin at having them to be accepted in the society not only as athletes but as valued and productive individuals in the society as well with the abilities they develop.
Furthermore, it is trying to make the society recognize the mentally handicapped by displaying the things they ar capable of doing despite their handicap and help the society to witness their joy and determination, and trying to creat a chance to live an independent life and find jobs for them through the various training provided for the athletes.
The number of the mentally handicapped is estimated to be around 2 million country-wide and accordingly, efforts are spent in order to raise the number of the athletes 10-fold from the current 8322 individuals. Program with extensive scopes are prepared in our country for that purpose and the continuity of the programs is ensured by creating resources.
History
| 1980-1990 | The sports activities were initiated for various mentally handicapped groups under the Youth and Sports General Directorate, Sports Education Departmen Chairmanship. |
| November 16, 1990 | The Turkihs Retarded-Persons Federation was founded with the approval of the Ministry dated 16.11.1990 and no. K.005/200, and the term "Retarde" was arnended as "Bodily Handicapped" during the subsequent years. |
| July 12, 2000 |
It was restructured according to the international grouping for the mental handicapped with the approval of the Ministry dated July 12, 2000 and no.197 and divided into 3 Federations (covering the Mentally Handicapped as well) as follows : |
| December 20, 2000 | The name of the Wheel Chair Handicapped Sports Federation was changed to Physically Wheel Chair Handicapped Sports Federation with the approval of the Ministry dated 20.12.2000 and no.1795. |
| December 22, 2000 | A decision was made to establish this branch of sports as a separate Federation in order to provide better facilities for the mentally handicapped people engaged in the sports activities and to harmonize the legal structure of the sports branch engaged in with the structuring of the European countries. This decision was implemented with the approval of the Ministry dated 22.12.2000 and no. MDK-333 and the Mentally Handicapped Sports Federation was established. The Hearing and Whell Chair Handicapped Sports Federations participated in the Federation Chairmanship elections held in November 2000 and the chairmen for the chairmanships of Federation, whose infrastructures were not fully formed at that time, took their positions by appointment. |
| January 5, 2001 | Tarık BİTLİS was appointde as the first chairman of the Mentally Handicapped Sport Federation with the approval of the Ministry dated 05.01.2001 and no.87. |
| May 31, 2006 | The Mentally Handicapped Sports Federation of Turkey was declared administratively and financially self-governing with the approval of the Prime Ministry dated 22.05.2006 and no.183, which was published in the Official Journal dated 31.05.2006 and no.26184 and became effective thereafter. |
| February 10, 2009 | The name of the Federation was changed as the Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation with the approval of the Prime Ministry dated 05.02.2009 and no.31, to become effective after publishing in the Official Journal dated February 10, 2009 and no. 27137 became effective. |
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