He is one of the founders and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sports Volunteers Association… Ahmet Nakkaş shared his thought with his friends, “Sport is the best way to bring unity to a society. It’s a way to live together without religious, linguistic, or racial distinctions.” Together, they formed an association of sports volunteers with the goal of mobilizing Turkey, a society with a sedentary lifestyle. They are aware of the challenging mission they have undertaken in a country where the percentage of licensed athletes is 2%, and the number of volunteers is 1.5%. They aim to change the perception of sports.
Living in a way that befits humanity…
“The responsibility for creating a better world for young people should be everyone’s. We need to uphold our values. There can be no unity where there is duality. Policies are temporary, but values are important. If humans are the most valuable beings, then we need to live in a way that befits humanity.”
Due to his busy work life, Nakkaş took a 12-year break from sports but, inspired by the advice of his father Nejat Nakkaş, one of the first national swimmers in the Republic era, he returned to the pool at the age of 48 and started participating in competitions in the “Master” category. Just last week, at the FINA World Masters Swimming Championships in Budapest, he competed in the 50-54 age category, surpassing 132 competitors and becoming the world champion. Nakkaş won gold medals by breaking the world championship record in the 50 and 100 meters freestyle and 200 meters individual medley. In the 200 meters freestyle, he also set a new European record, securing the first position in the race. Nejat Nakkaş, who is as old as the Republic, is one of Turkey’s first swimmers, born in 1923, and is still swimming for his health.
