TİKA Supports Athletes Without Barriers in Tajikistan

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided essential equipment and materials, including professional wheelchairs, to the Gayrat and Vahdat Wheelchair Basketball Clubs in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, to help strengthen their infrastructure.

The Gayrat and Vahdat Wheelchair Basketball Clubs support individuals with disabilities in Tajikistan, promoting sports participation among young people. Facing challenges due to limited resources, the clubs have taken a significant step toward professionalization with the infrastructure support provided by TİKA.

To mark the delivery of the equipment, a friendly match was organized, attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, Umut Acar; the Rector of the Institute of Physical Education, Muhammadsho Abdullozoda; TİKA’s Coordinator in Dushanbe, İbrahim Ethem Ünal; and supporters of the clubs.

In his speech at the ceremony, Ambassador Acar expressed his delight at witnessing the growing bond between the Turkish and Tajik peoples through the impactful, real-life projects implemented by TİKA in Tajikistan.

TİKA’s Coordinator in Dushanbe, Ünal, emphasized that the project aims to promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in social life through sports and to elevate the clubs to a level where they can compete in the Paralympic Games, both in terms of infrastructure and athlete development.

As part of the project’s next phase, various training programs and friendly matches between the wheelchair basketball teams of Türkiye and Tajikistan are planned. These initiatives aim to foster experience-sharing and strengthen cooperation in sports between the two friendly nations.