Yeliz Özel
Yeliz Özel (born 6 March 1980 in Ankara)[1] is a Turkish handballer, who plays for Yalikavaksports Club and the Turkish national team. She is widely considered best handball player ever from Turkey.
Yeliz Özel | ||||||||||||||||
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
Born |
Ankara, Turkey | 6 March 1980|||||||||||||||
Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||
Playing position | Middle Back | |||||||||||||||
Club information | ||||||||||||||||
Current club | Yalikavaksports Club | |||||||||||||||
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 Beld. SK | |||||||||||||||
2004–2007 | Kometal Skopje | |||||||||||||||
2007–2010 | Maliye Milli Piyango SK | |||||||||||||||
2010–2012 | CS Oltchim | |||||||||||||||
2012–2013 | Üsküdar Beld. SK | |||||||||||||||
2013–2017 | Yenimahalle Bld. SK | |||||||||||||||
2017-2019 | Muratpaşa | |||||||||||||||
2019-2020 | Kastamonu | |||||||||||||||
2020- | Yalikavaksports Club | |||||||||||||||
National team 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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1 National team caps and goals correct as of 5 July 2012 |
Playing career

Club
She started her career in Ankara team PTT, played first European Cup level matches same year. With outstanding skills in game-reading, Yeliz 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 back to Turkey to play in Eskisehir Anadolu University and Uskudar Belediyesi 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. Played two season in Romania, then she returned again to her home country back.[3]
Özel returned home in June 2012 to rejoin her former team Üsküdar Belediyespor.[4] After one season, she transferred to the Ankara-based team Yenimahalle Bld. SK.[5]
International
Özel was a member of the Turkey women's national handball team, and served as their captain.[6] She was part of the team, which won the silver medal at the 2009 Mediterranean Games held in Pescara, Italy.[7]
Honours
- 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
References
- "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). 2010-07-07. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
- "Üsküdar Belediyesi'nin en özel transferi". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2012-06-01. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
- "Yeliz Özel, Yenimahalle Belediyesi'nde". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2013-07-30. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
- "A Milli Takım Kaptanı Yeliz Özel'den Rize'ye Büyük Övgü!". Rizenin Sesi (in Turkish). 2013-02-24. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
- "Hentbolda gümüş kazandık". Hürriyet (in Turkish). 2009-07-05. Retrieved 2016-02-09.