Near East College student Barkan Can Aykut came first in Turkey in the 50 meters breaststroke races at the School Sports Stars Finals held in Turkey.
Near East College students Barkan Cem Aykut, Akman Tüzünkan, Erten Kasımoğlu and Doruk Mani successfully represented the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the swimming branch at the Turkish School Sports Stars Finals held in Bolu, Turkey. In the finals held on 6-8 June 2023, Near East College student Barkan Cem Aykut came first in Turkey in the 50 meters breaststroke category with a time of 00:33.63. Aykut also became the first TRNC student to achieve this success since 2005. Aykut, who came third in Turkey with a time of 01:13.91 in the 100 meters breaststroke category, also became the new owner of the TRNC 14-year-old record with this score. Aykut also placed sixth in Türkiye in the 200 meters breaststroke category.

Barkan Cem Aykut also got the right to compete in the Summer Cup Finals to be held in Giresun on 20-22 July 2023 with the scores he made.

Akman Tüzünkan, one of the Near East College students representing the TRNC, broke the TRNC records for the age of 12 with 00:33.16 and 01:14.76 in the 50 and 100 meters backstroke categories. In addition to these two categories, Tüzünkan passed the Turkish threshold in the 200-meter backstroke and 50-meter freestyle categories, thus qualified for participation in Turkey’s finals to be held next year in all four categories in which he competed. Akman Tüzünkan will also represent TRNC at the National Development Project 12 Years Finals to be held in Turkey on 1-2 December 2023.

Erten Kasımoğlu, a Near East College student, had the right to participate in the regional finals with his degrees in the 50 and 100 meters butterfly and 100 and 200 meters freestyle categories.

The young record holders representing the TRNC in the races organized by the Turkish Swimming Federation were prepared for the races under the coaching of Avni Cankurt, one of the trainers of the Near East University Olympic Swimming Pool.

Ömer Özkan, Director of Near East Secondary School: “As Near East College, we continue to support our students with all our means to help them discover themselves in cultural, sportive and social fields, while implementing an education model that will maximize their academic success.”
Near East Secondary School Director Ömer Özkan reminded that Near East College students returned to the TRNC with 2 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals in the swimming races organized by the Turkey Swimming Federation in Istanbul and Samsun in December 2022, and broke five new records in their age categories. Özkan said, “Our students’ return from the School Sports Stars Finals held in Bolu last week with the Turkey championship and the TRNC records showed once again that their success is not a coincidence but permanent.”

“I congratulate our students, who make us proud with the medals they won and the records they broke,” said Özkan.