Yeliz Özel Explained

Yeliz Özel
Birth Date:6 March 1980
Birth Place:Ankara, Turkey
Position:Centre Back
Clubnumber:7
Years1:1998–1999
Clubs1:PTT Türk Telekom SK
Years2:1999–2000
Years3:2000–2001
Clubs3:PTT Türk Telekom
Years4:2001–2002
Clubs4:Anadolu Uni, Eskisehir
Years5:2002–2004
Clubs5:Üsküdar Bld. SK
Years6:2004–2007
Clubs6:Kometal Skopje
Years7:2007–2010
Clubs7:Maliye Milli Piyango SK
Years8:2010–2012
Clubs8:CS Oltchim
Years9:2012–2013
Years10:2013–2017
Clubs10:Yenimahalle Bld. SK
Years11:2017–2019
Clubs11:Muratpaşa
Years12:2019–2020
Clubs12:Kastamonu
Nationalyears1:1995–2022
Nationalteam1:Turkey
Ntupdate:7 February 2023
Clubs13:Yalikavaksports Club
Years13:2020–2021
Clubs14:İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi GSK
Years14:2021–

Yeliz Özel (born 6 March 1980, in Ankara) is a Turkish retired handballer, who last played for İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi GSK and the Turkish national team. She is widely considered the best handball player ever from Turkey.

Club career

She started her career in Ankara team PTT, played the first European Cup level matches the same year. With outstanding skills in game-reading, Yeliz was 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 came back to Turkey to play in Eskisehir Anadolu University and Üsküdar Bld. 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.

In June 2010, Yeliz Özel signed for Romania's top club CS Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea. She played two seasons in Romania before returning to her home country.

Özel returned home in June 2012 to rejoin her former team Üsküdar Bld. SK. After one season, she transferred to the Ankara-based team Yenimahalle Bld. SK.

International career

Özel was a member of the Turkey women's national handball team and served as their captain. She was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2009 Mediterranean Games held in Pescara, Italy. In 2017, she won the silver medal with the national team at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaycan.

In April 2022, Yeliz Özel retired from the national team after 27 years.

Honours

Turkish Women's Handball Super League
Women's EHF Champions League
Mediterranean Games
Islamic Solidarity Games
  • Silver medal (1): 2017

    External links