Sports selection for the Turkish National Men's Hockey Team using multicriteria decision-making methods

In this study, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), TOPSIS, and VIKOR, methods of Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), were used to support the selection of athletes for the Turkish National Field Hockey Team. The selection criteria were shaped based on the opinions of experienced field hockey coaches and supported by data obtained from the athlete information system of the Turkish Hockey Federation. The study sample consists of players invited to the national team during the 2021–2022, 2022–2023, and 2023–2024 seasons. Six criteria were used in the athlete evaluation process: number of goals, number of matches played, number of yellow cards, red cards, green cards, and penalty corner goals. The AHP method was employed to determine the weights of these criteria, followed by the application of TOPSIS and VIKOR techniques to suggest athlete selections for each season separately. The results were compared with the existing national team rosters and analyzed accordingly. All analyses were conducted using Microsoft Excel. Findings indicate that the most significant criteria in athlete selection are the number of penalty corner goals and total goals scored, followed by matches played and green cards. This study presents the first MCDM model developed for field hockey in Turkey and demonstrates that the proposed method offers a more systematic and efficient approach compared to traditional selection methods. It is recommended that the selection process be expanded by incorporating additional criteria in future studies. Furthermore, enhancing the athlete information system with more comprehensive data and performing regular end-of-season performance analyses would enable more accurate evaluations. Integrating other MCDM techniques into the selection process and providing training and guidance to coaches and managers can further improve decision-making quality. Finally, continuously improving the selection process through feedback may contribute to more successful outcomes in national team selections. The applicability of this model suggests that similar approaches could be adapted for other sports disciplines as well.