Türkiye's deaf women's national basketball players are determined to make their voices heard by making success a reality and creating a victorious finale at the upcoming World Championship in Greece in June.

During an in-depth interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), both Özlem Şencan, head coach of the Crescent-Star squad, and Esin Bilgili, captain of the team, had encouraging words of self-belief ahead of the upcoming World Championships in Greece.

Özlem Şencan said, "We have already begun our preparations, and our team is comprised of 12 primary players. Additionally, we are engaging in screenings in various cities. We shall be hosting our inaugural camp in February and, before then, we shall be engaging in individual training sessions."

Şencan said that she assumed the helm of the team with the intention of competing in the Olympics and exclaimed: "Though we were not able to accomplish the success we desired at the Olympics, it was an incredible experience. We witnessed our adversaries, and the same will be true for the World Championship. Greece has a clear advantage since it is the host country. Additionally, there are the United States, Italy and Lithuania – all long-established teams that have been in this field for years. Yet, I believe that with a favorable draw, we shall be able to secure a medal."

Şencan said that she had acquired the skill of communicating with the athletes and that the trainers assisted her further in that regard.

Team captain Esin Bilgili, born in Istanbul in 1994, proudly hails from a family of two siblings.

She revealed that, as a baby, she suffered from hearing loss due to seizures; however, this did not stop her from pursuing her passion for sports.

Despite her mother's objections, she began playing football in the streets and later basketball in primary school.

Esin proudly declared that despite her hearing impairment, she persevered and continued to play basketball professionally at Küçükçekmece Youth and Sports Club, before transferring to Uşak Anadolu 64 Sports Club and pursuing her studies at Uşak University.

She tenaciously trained with her peers, despite her disability, to reach her goals.

Recounting her experience of special language therapy training as a child to improve her speech, the captain of the Crescent-Star team said: "I underwent hearing impaired training and speech therapy to ensure I could live life to the fullest, without any hindrances. Unfortunately, during my primary school years, I faced ridicule from my peers on account of the device I had to wear – but I was able to overcome my difficulties through sheer grit and determination, as well as the help of sports, which enabled me to erase my struggles from my memory."

Esin Bilgili, in her journey to becoming the captain of the Deaf Women's National Basketball Team, said: "It was in 2014 when I was playing in Küçükçekmece that I met our coach Burcu Pelister, who enlightened me regarding the work of the federation, the national team and the various organizations. I was filled with delight and immediately joined the team. That year, we managed to secure the silver medal at the under-21 championship in Samsun. Despite the fact that we put up a valiant fight at the 2019 Poland, 2021 World Deaf Basketball Championship in Italy and last year's Olympics in Brazil, the toughest part for me was not being able to clinch a medal. However, from this experience, we were able to gain invaluable knowledge that we can use in our future tournaments. We'll just have to wait and see."

Noting their head start on training this year, the Crescent-Star athlete said: "Our ambition was certainly stoked by Brazil. We intend to reach unprecedented heights with our new teammates. Our friends are training across different cities, and we keep each other informed of our progress and areas needing improvement. We are determined to be the leading force at the upcoming World Championship."

She passionately said that her family had always been her biggest source of motivation and that they remained incredibly supportive.

She mentioned that her sister, who was also a coach, had been a great mentor for her.

She was determined to play basketball until she graduated and to make the most of her education.

After that, she hoped to start as an assistant coach and eventually make her way up to becoming a head coach.

Esin said that when she became a mother, she would encourage her children to participate in this sport.