Berchtesgaden (pps) The junior team of the Turkish Luge Federation, headed by Secretary General Ahmet Bal, paid a visit to the office of the International Luge Federation (FIL) in Berchtesgaden. On their way from a training session in Altenberg (Germany) to the International Training Week in Innsbruck-Igls (Austria), the Turkish delegation used the stop-over at the FIL headquarters to collect the luge equipment, provided thanks to the FIL Development Program. On this occasion, FIL President Josef Fendt and Executive Director Christoph Schweiger were informed by Ahmet Bal about Turkey's numerous activities with regard to the development of the sport of luge - not only on artificially refrigerated tracks but on natural tracks as well.

The Turkish Luge Federation, host of the 61stFIL Congress last summer, currently prepares three young girls and two boys to participate in the junior World Cup events in Altenberg, Winterberg (both in Germany) as well as in Sigulda (Latvia). The upcoming FIL Luge Junior World Championships on the artificially refrigerated track in Innsbruck-Igls (Austria) on January 1-February 2, 2014 will be the absolute season highlight of the team that is accompanied by Latvia’s former luger IvarsDeinis, who posted a 10th-place finish in the doubles at the 2002 Olympic Games.