Athletes hope to provide a little distraction from Turkey's trauma 

The European Indoors kick off in Istanbul just weeks after earthquakes rocked the host nation but fundraising will be at heart of competition 

1 March 2023; A general view of the Ataköy Athletics Arena ahead of the European Indoor Athletics Championships at Ataköy Athletics Arena in Istanbul, Türkiye. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Above the seats in the corner of the Atakoy Arena in Istanbul, the 7,000-seater host venue for this week’s European Indoor Championships, there’s a large sign reminding everyone what this country has been through over the last month: “Our pain is as big as the magnitude. Our mourning is so deep.” 

Sport can seem a frivolous thing to be concerned about in the wake of two earthquakes which, to date, have cost more than 45,000 people their lives, but it can also serve as a welcome distraction. For some in Turkey, that’s exactly what this event will be over the next four days.