Istanbul, Sultanbeyli's very own 16-year-old Efe Aydın left his mark on the international kickboxing scene, securing a silver medal in the Wako Kickboxing World Cup held in Austria's Tyrol region.
The young athlete defeated his Polish opponent in the final match to secure his spot on the podium.
“I've been doing this sport for 12 years, since I was 4 years old. This sport does not come from my father. I have been doing this sport for a long time of my own will and will,” said Efe Aydın, who comes from a family of kickboxers.
His older brother, Cihad Kepenek, is also a kickboxer in his own right.
Aydın's next goal is to compete in the Youth European Championship and become the champion.
His father, Selahattin Aydın, who is also his coach, expressed his confidence in the young athlete's abilities saying, “Efe is slowly taking firm steps forward on this road. We are working for this.”
Aydın, who studies at Naim Süleymanoğlu Sports High School, shared his excitement about representing his country and fighting for his flag.
“The national team is a very good feeling. It is a very different feeling to go there and fight and represent our flag,” he said.
Despite his success, Aydın has his feet firmly planted on the ground and is motivated to continue working hard towards his goals.
“I hope to be the first in the Youth European Championship and I want to go back to my living room,” he said.
His achievement is not only a personal triumph, but also a source of inspiration for the youths of Türkiye.
He also expressed his hopes to give back to his community by dedicating his medal to the victims of the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye.
“I would like to give this as a gift to our brothers and sisters who were victims of the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Better things could have happened, I could have come out on the podium. My destiny was to play in the final and be second,” said Aydın.
