Turkish 27-year-old boxing sensation Buse Naz Çakıroğlu is determined to rewrite history by clinching the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Riding high on her triumph at the 3rd European Games in Poland, where she secured an Olympic quota, Çakıroğlu dazzled in the finals, dispatching her French adversary Wassila Lkhadiri with a flawless 5-0 victory.
Having already tasted success in world and European championships, Çakıroğlu, who came tantalizingly close to Olympic glory, now fixates on the ultimate prize – the Olympic gold medal.
Undeterred and focused, she relentlessly hones her skills within the high-intensity atmosphere of the national team camp.
With a commitment to her dream, Çakıroğlu recently graced the Senior Women's Turkish Individual Boxing Championship in the Darıca district of Kocaeli to bolster her teammates and provide insights into the ongoing preparations for the Olympics.
She expressed her optimism about the progress and remarked: "Our training is in full swing at the national team camp. Ahead of the Paris Olympics in April, there's a crucial European championship where we aim to assess our form and gauge our current standing."
Asserting that Turkish women's boxing is experiencing a surge, particularly after the Tokyo Olympics, Çakıroğlu outlined her strategy.
"We have our eyes set on the gold medal in Paris. With four visas secured and women competing in six weight categories, we're poised for the final eliminations in the last two weight classes. Can we achieve this? Absolutely. We're heading to Paris with unwavering hope, intending to complete the unfinished gold. It has been an exhilarating journey for me. Tokyo was a phase filled with excitement and youthful exuberance. Now, 3.5 years later, I'm more experienced and in a much better position," she said.
Reflecting on her earlier anxieties, Çakıroğlu said: "In past tournaments, there were moments of concern. However, my motivation is soaring now. When millions support you, belief in oneself deepens, and awareness of one's capabilities sharpens. The overwhelming support and recognition as a favorite serve as a wellspring of motivation for me. That's why I'm not overly stressed. Our singular goal is the gold medal."