At the Ata Sports Center, arrows whistled through the air as thousands of young athletes from across Türkiye competed in the Regional Indoor Puta Qualifiers – but the real target wasn’t just medals, it was the soul of a sport born from centuries past.
Leading the charge is Cengiz Toksöz, president of the Turkish Traditional Archery Federation, a relatively young organization founded in 2019 that’s now booming with more than 25,000 licensed archers. In just five years, it’s become one of Türkiye’s fastest-growing sports bodies.
“We’re not just training athletes,” Toksöz told Anadolu Agency (AA) during the qualifiers. “We’re reviving a legacy. Our bows, our clothing, our rituals – they’re stitched into our identity. This federation carries more than sport. It carries history.”
Across six cities – Istanbul, Erzurum, Mersin, Bursa, Konya and Ankara – more than 3,000 athletes took part in the qualifiers. With each arrow loosed, young “kemankeş” blended performance with purpose, reviving the legacy of warriors past.
“Our mission is a fusion of culture and competition,” Toksöz said. “We’re growing a generation that doesn’t just shoot arrows – they understand what those arrows meant to their ancestors.”
The surge in popularity owes much to cultural tailwinds. The World Ethnosport Confederation’s festivals and Turkish historical dramas have turned the spotlight back to the art of the bow. Toksöz points to the 2016 Ethnosport Cultural Festival – held at the very same Ata Sports Center – as a turning point.
“Interest exploded after that,” he said. “And we owe a lot to Okçular Vakfı and to media producers, especially TRT. Their films, shows, even cartoons, inspire children to pick up a bow – not because they have to, but because they feel connected.”
One name continues to inspire both traditional and modern archers – Olympic gold medalist Mete Gazoz. Toksöz says Mete’s 2020 Tokyo triumph wasn’t just a modern archery win, but a national one.
“When Mete won, people called to congratulate us too,” he said. “Because in Türkiye, we don’t separate modern and traditional archery. It’s one spirit. One heritage. One pride.”
Now, the federation is pushing for international recognition of traditional Turkish archery as an Olympic discipline. The dream: to one day crown European, World and Olympic champions raised in both form and philosophy.
But for Toksöz, the bow’s value reaches beyond medals. Archery, he says, is therapy for the body, mind and soul.
“Doctors recommend it for posture and spinal health. Psychologists suggest it to kids with focus issues. It teaches control, balance and inner strength,” he said. “It’s not just a sport. It’s a way to grow.”
With nearly 1,000 clubs and coaches nationwide and growing, Turkish archery is fast becoming a movement – one rooted not only in muscle and precision, but in memory.