Konya-born national athlete Sami Baki Kıymet is experiencing the joy of becoming a world champion in weightlifting, a sport that he began with admiration for his grandfather and uncles during his childhood and eventually turned into a passion.
Sami Baki, who closely followed the training of his weightlifting coach grandfather and his uncles, who were national weightlifters, started training at the age of 10.
17-year-old Sami Baki Kıymet, a member of Selçuklu Belediyespor Club, won 3 gold medals at this year's Junior World Championships held in Durres, Albania, with the participation of 268 athletes from 45 countries.
Sami Baki Kıymet emphasized that becoming a world champion at such a young age is a beautiful and indescribable feeling. He shared the story of his championship journey in weightlifting, which he achieved in 7 years.
Sami Baki, who explained that his grandfather was a national team coach and his uncles were national weightlifters, spoke as follows:
"I developed an interest in weightlifting at a young age as I grew up among weightlifters. I told my grandfather, 'I want to become a weightlifter.' He took me under his wing, and I trained with him for about 2 years. After that, I joined Selçuklu Belediyespor Club and started training with Coach Burak. So far, I have won approximately 50 gold medals in national and international competitions I have participated in. What motivates and drives me the most on the podium is thinking about our flag."