World champ boxers eye Paris Olympics

ISTANBUL

Turkey has set its seal on the World Women Boxing Championship held in Istanbul with five gold and two bronze medals, and the world champion boxers now turn their eyes to the 2024 Paris Olympics for new successes.

With a first final match win on May 19 and the four others on May 20, Turkish women boxers grabbed a slice of boxing history at the championship held between May 9 and 20.

The gold winners are Ayşe Çağırır (48kg category), Buse Naz Çakıroğlu (50kg category), Hatice Akbaş (54kg category), Busenaz Sürmeneli (66kg category) and Şennur Demir (81kg category).

Sema Çalışkan and Elif Güner bagged bronze medals.

However, the boxers who made history have now “raised the bar.”

“Becoming champion here in this tournament is a glimmer of hope for us for Paris. We all want to get gold medals there, too,” Çakıroğlu said after her final match against Colombian opponent Lorena Valencia.

Akbaş, who defeated Romanian Lacramioara Preijoc in a final match, agreed with Çakıroğlu, saying that Turkish women’s boxing is improving day by day. “Our target as a team is now the Paris Olympics. I hope that we show the same performance there, too.”

Sürmeneli, who beat Canadian Charlie Cavanagh is another champion eyeing the Olympics. “I want to bestow a new gold medal in Paris to my country,” she said and noted while laughing, “As long as my acrimoniousness while boxing continues, new championships will come.”

“I do not think anyone could beat a hard-working and mentally ready me,” she added with confidence.

When asked about the inspiration of her motivation, Sürmeneli said, “I want to show all the world that a Turkish woman is here, a little crazy and aggressive.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signaled the Olympics during his congratulation talk on the phone with the boxers.

Inviting the women boxers to the Presidential Complex, Erdoğan said, “I congratulate you now. And I also want to congratulate you as winners of the Paris Olympics.”

After the phone call, Erdoğan also posted a tweet highlighting his expectation of new success in Paris once again.

When asked the secret behind her success, Çağırır, who bagged the first gold medal in a final match on May 19, underlined that she is a “warrior.”

“I don’t like to give up. I had the responsibility on me, and I kept the promise I gave to myself,” she noted.