The two Taekwondo belt gradings organized by Alanya Budo Sports Club were more than just events where athletes earned new belts. Nearly 40 athletes stepped onto the mat across the examinations held at Yıldırır Fight Academy and at our club’s own training center. With Büşra Ezgi Duman, Ahmet Emir Tekin and our head coach Merve Yazıcı Alıcı contributing in different roles, the process once again reflected the strong structure being built in Alanya to bring children and young people together through Taekwondo.
After completing two consecutive belt gradings as Alanya Budo Sports Club, what remained was not only a collection of new belts and certificates.
A much bigger picture emerged.
On one side were children taking their first steps into Taekwondo. On the other were young athletes continuing their development.
Beside them stood coaches, families, different generations of experience and people coming together around the same goal.
Across the two gradings, nearly 40 athletes reached a new stage in their personal development journey.
For us, this was one of the clearest reflections of the sporting structure we aim to build for Taekwondo in Alanya.
TWO DIFFERENT GRADINGS, ONE SHARED APPROACH
The first belt grading was held at Yıldırır Fight Academy, while the second took place at the Alanya Budo Sports Club training center.
The atmosphere, responsibilities and stories of the two events were different.
But the philosophy behind them was the same:
To give children the opportunity to see the result of their effort, grow through sport, demonstrate what they had learned on the mat and take on greater responsibility with each new belt.
The grading at Yıldırır Fight Academy was conducted under the coordination of Büşra Ezgi Duman, while the grading at our own training center was held under the responsibility of our training coordinator Ahmet Emir Tekin.
The goal in both events was the same:
Not simply to move athletes to the next belt, but to help them move one step forward in their development.
BÜŞRA EZGİ DUMAN: EXPERIENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Our coach Büşra Ezgi Duman played an important role throughout the process.
Duman coordinated the first grading and was also present alongside our athletes during the second.
We know how important continuity is in the development of an athlete.
Seeing a child on their very first day of training, following their progress over time, witnessing the moment when they finally succeed at a technique they once struggled with, and eventually watching them at a belt grading is one of the most meaningful aspects of coaching.
The role Büşra Ezgi Duman took across both events was an important part of that continuity.
AHMET EMİR TEKİN TAKES RESPONSIBILITY ON THE MAT
Our training coordinator Ahmet Emir Tekin also took on different responsibilities during the two-day process.
He followed the first grading as an observer and assumed responsibility for the second grading held at our own training center.
For our club, Tekin’s ability to transfer his experience as an athlete into the training process and the development of younger athletes is especially valuable.
Because a sustainable sports structure cannot only focus on developing today’s athletes.
It must also develop people who can take responsibility in the future, pass on what they have learned and guide the next generation of athletes.
Seeing this process begin to take shape on the mat is something we value deeply.
MERVE YAZICI ALICI’S GUIDING AND UNIFYING APPROACH
The experience and guidance of our head coach Merve Yazıcı Alıcı also hold an important place in the development of this structure.
Her approach is built on the understanding that Taekwondo is not only about competition results, but about creating a lasting relationship between athlete, coach, family and club.
That philosophy contributes to an environment in which different individuals can take responsibility and grow within the same structure.
For us, it is especially valuable that Merve Yazıcı Alıcı’s years of experience in Alanya Taekwondo are passed on to young athletes and to those taking responsibility in the training process.
Because a strong sporting structure is not built around one person alone.
Experience is shared, responsibility is distributed, and the right people come together around the same purpose.
That is where real development begins.
A NEW BEGINNING FOR NEARLY 40 ATHLETES
Across the two belt gradings, nearly 40 athletes stepped onto the mat at different levels.
Some were still at the very beginning of their Taekwondo journey.
Some experienced the excitement of replacing their white belt with their first colored belt.
Others continued progressing through yellow, blue, red and more advanced belt levels.
Every athlete had a different story.
Some had entered the training hall only a few months earlier with hesitation.
Others had already begun to become role models for younger athletes joining after them.
But they all shared one thing:
They worked, they persisted, and they moved one step forward on their own path.
That is where the real meaning of belt gradings lies for us.
EVERY CHILD INTRODUCED TO SPORT IS A GAIN FOR US
Taekwondo is, of course, a sport with techniques, belts, competitions and rankings.
But when working with children, we see that its value goes far beyond all of that.
A child who does sport begins to use their time differently.
They learn to follow a routine.
They learn to move together with others.
They learn to try again after failure and to understand the work behind success.
They set goals for themselves.
And over time, sport stops being just a few hours in the week and becomes a natural part of life.
That is exactly what we aim for:
To contribute to raising a generation that does not simply practice Taekwondo, but truly lives with sport.
PARENTS ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THIS STRUCTURE
Both belt gradings were held with the participation of parents.
The pride on the faces of families watching their children on the mat was one of the most meaningful images of the two days.
Because when a child takes part in sport, the family also becomes part of that journey.
Parents organize their lives around training schedules, support their children, encourage them when they are tired and sometimes help them continue at moments when they feel like giving up.
That is why we do not see parents as mere spectators.
They are a natural part of this growing sports family.
A SHARED FOUNDATION FOR TAEKWONDO IN ALANYA
These two consecutive belt gradings showed us something very clearly:
The development of Taekwondo in Alanya cannot be measured only by the number of athletes.
What really matters is bringing knowledge and experience together, allowing young people to take responsibility, helping coaches complement one another, involving families in the process and giving children the chance to grow in the right sporting environment.
The experience of Büşra Ezgi Duman, the responsibility taken by Ahmet Emir Tekin, and the guidance of Merve Yazıcı Alıcı form different parts of that whole.
The result is not simply two belt gradings.
The result is a Taekwondo culture in Alanya that can be carried into the future.
EVERY NEW BELT IS A STEP TOWARD THE FUTURE
Some of the children we see today wearing white, yellow, green, blue or red belts may one day represent Alanya in competitions.
Some may take their sporting journey to much higher levels.
Some may become coaches in the future.
Others may never become professional athletes, but may carry the discipline, confidence and sense of responsibility they learned through Taekwondo into other parts of their lives.
For us, every one of these paths is valuable.
Because the true power of sport is not measured only in medals.
It gains real meaning when it leaves a lasting mark on a child’s life.
That is the path Alanya Budo Sports Club continues to follow.
THE DOOR TO THIS GROWING FAMILY IS OPEN
Seeing the excitement of nearly 40 children across two different training halls and two separate belt gradings reminded us once again why we do this work.
From beginners to athletes who have trained for years, from coaches to families, everyone was part of the same picture.
And that picture continues to grow.
We welcome families who want their children to discover sport, develop in a disciplined and safe environment, build new friendships and learn the values of Taekwondo to become part of the Alanya Budo Sports Club family.
As we share the happiness of the children who earned new belts today, we also look forward to writing the story of the children who will step onto the mat for the first time tomorrow.
Because every strong athlete once came to their first training session.
Every belt journey began with a white belt.
And every journey gained meaning with that very first step.
Taekwondo is growing in Alanya. And we continue to grow this journey together with our athletes, coaches and families.
