Turkish superstar boxer Buse Naz Çakıroğlu is set to fight for gold in the 50 kg. boxing category at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, buoyed by a flawless performance that secured her a spot in the finals.
Çakıroğlu's dominant 5-0 victory over Filipino Aira Villegas at Roland-Garros propelled her to the championship bout, rekindling her pursuit of Olympic glory after Tokyo 2020.
Reflecting on her journey, Çakıroğlu shared her single-minded focus with Anadolu Agency (AA): “Our sole aim here was to reach the final again. Beyond that, my team and I have only had one goal: to bring home the gold medal.”
Having dedicated over three years to this moment, Çakıroğlu expressed deep gratitude for her team’s relentless efforts: “They’ve worked tirelessly, and I am determined not to let them down. I want to return to Türkiye with the gold medal and make them proud.”
Çakıroğlu’s disciplined approach was evident in her semi-final bout, where she maintained her focus throughout all three rounds. She emphasized the importance of consistency: “When you’re ahead, opponents often become desperate in the final round. We strive to keep our game, motivation and concentration steady. Many athletes win the first two rounds and then falter. We want to finish strong, just as we began.”
Her excitement about competing at Roland-Garros was palpable: “When the Turkish National Olympic Committee announced eight months ago that the semifinals and finals would be held here, I told coach Nazım Yiğit, 'I won’t leave without fighting at Roland-Garros.' I’m thrilled to have made it to the semi-finals, and with God’s will, I’ll be returning with the gold medal.”
Çakıroğlu will face Yu Wu of China in the women’s 50 kg. final on Friday, at 10:47 p.m. Turkish time.
Before the Games, she had expressed her desire to secure a medal in Paris, aiming to rectify the disappointment of missing out on gold in the 51 kg. final at Tokyo 2020, which was postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic.
