Yeliz Özel (born 6 March 1980, in Ankara)[1] is a Turkish retired handballer, who last played for İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi GSK and the Turkish national team. She is widely considered the best handball player ever from Turkey.
| Yeliz Özel | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
6 March 1980 Ankara, Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre Back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior clubs | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1998–1999 | PTT Türk Telekom SK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1999–2000 | Byåsen HE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2000–2001 | PTT Türk Telekom | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2001–2002 | Anadolu Uni, Eskisehir | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2002–2004 | Üsküdar Bld. SK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2004–2007 | Kometal Skopje | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2010 | Maliye Milli Piyango SK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2012 | CS Oltchim | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2013 | Üsküdar Bld. SK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2013–2017 | Yenimahalle Bld. SK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2017–2019 | Muratpaşa | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2019–2020 | Kastamonu | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2020–2021 | Yalikavaksports Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2021– | İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi GSK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1995–2022 | Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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1 National team caps and goals correct as of 7 February 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
editShe started her career in Ankara team PTT, played the first European Cup level matches the same year. With outstanding skills in game-reading, Yeliz was labelled as a 'prominent young talent' by several handball experts. She transferred to Norway League for Byåsen HE in Trondheim, played there one full season. Then she came back to Turkey to play in Eskisehir Anadolu University and Üsküdar Bld. SK.
In 2004, Yeliz went to Skopje to playing for Kometal Gjorče Petrov Skopje. After a brilliant stint there, she was one of the best players of EHF Champions League 2004–05 season. She scored 61 goals and made a huge contribution to promote her team final.[2]
In June 2010, Yeliz Özel signed for Romania's top club CS Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea. She played two seasons in Romania before returning to her home country.[3]
Özel returned home in June 2012 to rejoin her former team Üsküdar Bld. SK.[4] After one season, she transferred to the Ankara-based team Yenimahalle Bld. SK.[5]
International career
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Özel was a member of the Turkey women's national handball team and served as their captain.[6] She was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2009 Mediterranean Games held in Pescara, Italy.[7] In 2017, she won the silver medal with the national team at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaycan.[8][9]
In April 2022, Yeliz Özel retired from the national team after 27 years.[10]
Honours
edit- Winners (5): 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2014–15
- Runners-up (2): 2012–13, 2013–14
- Runner-up (1): 2004–05
- Runner-up (1): 2009
- Islamic Solidarity Games
- Silver medal (1): 2017
References
edit- ^ "Yeliz Özel". European Handball Federation.
- ^ "EHF Women's Champions League 2004/05 – Top 50 scorers". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ^ "Yeliz'e Avrupa'dan özel ilgi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 7 July 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Üsküdar Belediyesi'nin en özel transferi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 1 June 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Yeliz Özel, Yenimahalle Belediyesi'nde". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 30 July 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "A Milli Takım Kaptanı Yeliz Özel'den Rize'ye Büyük Övgü!". Rizenin Sesi (in Turkish). 24 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Hentbolda gümüş kazandık". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 5 July 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Milli Hentbolcular İstanbul'da Toplanacak". Beyaz Gazete (in Turkish). 22 April 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Hentbolda 2 gümüş madalya". TRT Spor (in Turkish). 14 May 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Hentbol tutkunu iki efsanenin milli formaya vedası" (in Turkish). THF Türkiye Hentbol Federasyonu. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
External links
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