Sports movements in the Ottoman Empire and organizational structure

In the Ottoman Empire, sports were not merely seen as a way to build physical strength but also as a symbol of a disciplined life, courage, and endurance. Sports activities, which were integrated with military training, were considered vital for the survival of the state. [6] Sports such as archery, horsemanship, shooting, and wrestling were methods used in the training of the Janissaries, who formed the backbone of the Ottoman army. Traditional sports not only strengthened the body but also contributed significantly to the state's survival by reinforcing military discipline and a sense of national unity. This allowed the Ottoman Empire to remain a powerful state in its region for many years. With the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Era, modern sports from the West also began to take hold in Ottoman lands. The purpose of this study is to examine the sports branches and movements in the Ottoman Empire and to evaluate the developments and organization of sports movements throughout a historical process. It also aims to shed light on the origins of today's sports branches, associations, and clubs in Turkey by tracing them back to the Ottoman sports organization, thereby allowing for a better understanding of the present through the past. The research was conducted using a qualitative research approach with a document analysis method. The primary data source for the research consists of Ottoman-era documents found in the Presidential Archives of the Republic of Turkey. When selecting the documents to be included in the study, care was taken to ensure they were directly related to the research topic, that the information they contained was reliable, and that they were representative in terms of historical context. The archival documents from the Presidential Archives of the Republic of Turkey were scanned in accordance with the research questions, and records related to sports activities, forms of organization, and institutional structures were systematically selected. Concepts, events, and institutions found in all documents collected from the data sources were identified. These data were then grouped under specific categories (sports branches) to form a meaningful whole.