Weightlifting reputation is in tatters: Even candidacy is not accepted

The Turkish Weightlifting Federation (THF) has once again suffered a severe loss of credibility in the international arena. Last year, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) stripped it of its right to nominate candidates, and this time, it hit a wall in the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) elections. Furthermore, the case went all the way to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where the result was once again disappointing.

The EWF amended its bylaws in 2023, closing the candidacy window to officials from countries with four or more doping violations in the last Olympic cycle. This regulation directly impacted Türkiye. According to a report by the International Testing Agency (ITA), the candidates proposed by the Turkish Weightlifting Federation, which had at least seven doping violations between 2022 and 2024, were not included on the selection list.

EMPHASIS ON CLEAN SPORTS

The THF's candidate list was as follows: Hasan Akkuş for the EWF Presidency, Bülent Işık for the Health Board, Keziban Özel for the Technical Board, Kenan Erdağı for the Coaching and Research Board. The EWF Evaluation Board vetoed all four of these names. The Turkish Weightlifting Federation and the nominated candidates jointly appealed to the CAS to object to the decision. However, CAS concluded that the EWF decision was "lawful" and rejected the appeal.

The full title of the court decision is also available on the CAS website. In its decision, the CAS ruled that the EWF's implementation was "proportionate, legitimate, and legal." The court rejected Türkiye's argument, stating that "the date on which the sanction becomes final, not the date on which the doping penalty is imposed, should be taken into account." Furthermore, it emphasized that the regulation in question was not a "penalty," but rather an "administrative compliance rule," and therefore, its retroactive application was not unlawful. The decision noted the following: "The implementation of anti-doping policies takes precedence over the principle of democratic representation. Clean sport is a principle above all federative structures."

Akkuş resigned

Akkuş, who was forced to resign as federation president in 2013 when doping scandals erupted in Turkish weightlifting, returned to the presidency in 2021. His repeated attempts to bring him back to the forefront at international boards have drawn criticism from the sports community. Despite past allegations of "altering the metadata of official documents" and "attempts to protect athletes who have received doping bans," which have been reflected in CAS decisions, Akkuş continues to enjoy support from both the federation and the ministry.