Hüseyin Öztankal, who saw that the life of his son Salihcan, a national athlete in Samsun, changed thanks to table tennis, is the Samsun representative of the Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation and strives to direct children with special needs to branches suitable for their abilities.

24-year-old Salihcan Öztankal, who has Down syndrome, started table tennis about 12 years ago with the guidance of his physical education teachers.

Salihcan, who was selected for the Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation Table Tennis National Team after his success in the tournaments he participated in Türkiye, has won one gold, 10 silver and 18 bronze medals internationally to date.

Father Hüseyin Öztankal, who saw that his son gained self-confidence and improved his daily life skills thanks to sports, became the Samsun representative of the Turkish Special Athletes Sports Federation 2 years ago.

Hüseyin Öztankal carries out activities to touch the lives of individuals with special needs who stay at home and are not interested in sports or any other job.

Aiming to reach especially rural families, Öztankal strives to direct children to branches appropriate to their abilities, to bring them together with coaches, and to support families in this process.

"We tell what special children can achieve"

Father Öztankal told the AA correspondent that he sees this duty as a responsibility to reach special children and their families, rather than an official title.

Explaining that coaches determine which branch special children can be successful in, Öztankal stated that they provide moral support to families in this process.

Emphasizing that he wants to reach as many children with special needs as possible, Öztankal said, "We set out on this journey to find many Salihcans, many Mehmet Yasins, many Ayşes. We are trying to reach families in rural areas. There are families who do not know what sports is at home. We are telling what special children can achieve." he said.

Pointing out that successful athletes with special needs are trained in Samsun, Öztankal continued as follows:

"I believe that every special child definitely has a talent. This could be art, sports, or a cultural activity, but every special child definitely has a talent. We prioritize sports because my child is an athlete. We started this excitement with my son in 2014. We saw different special children and special athletes in that community. We said why shouldn't our special children in Samsun also focus on these branches, why shouldn't they work and succeed."

Öztankal pointed out that sports have brought significant changes in his son's life and said, "My son's self-confidence has increased. My son can now do many tasks on his own in daily life. His self-confidence has increased. He has started to lead his own life individually. He goes out, travels, does his own shopping. He likes it, buys it himself, goes to the cash register and pays, can cook his food, and helps his mother. This is the mental development and awareness that sports gives." he said.

Stating that they want other children to achieve the same gains, Öztankal noted that families should trust their children.

Öztankal added that he has reached approximately 30 children so far and has introduced most of them to sports.