Türkiye’s 1st European kickboxing champion Asuman Ciglioglu returns home

Asuman Ciglioglu returned home to Kastamonu after winning Türkiye’s first European Championship gold in the 60-kilogram kickboxing senior division.

Competing in Athens from Nov. 2 to 10, Ciglioglu represented Türkiye in a field of over 1,000 athletes from 50 countries.

Asuman Ciglioglu’s historic gold at European Kickboxing Championship

She defeated opponents from Latvia, Norway and Italy to secure her place at the top of the podium, making history for Türkiye.

A crowd gathered at Kastamonu’s bus terminal, welcoming her with flowers and torches to honor her achievement, which marks a major milestone for both Türkiye and the local community.

Kastamonu’s acting Provincial Director of Youth and Sports Efgan Dagli emphasized the pride Ciglioglu’s victory brought to the nation. “Asuman raised our flag in Greece and made us proud,” Dagli said.

He also affirmed that Kastamonu’s sports authorities will continue to support Ciglioglu as she aims to achieve more. Her triumph is Kastamonu’s first European Championship in this division, creating a momentous occasion for the city.

Asuman Ciglioglu’s secret to overcoming challenging competitions

Ciglioglu shared how her preparation and determination paid off. “I worked hard with my coach, Emrah Sahanoglu, and I believed I could win this year. Going to Greece, I felt some stress, but my coach reminded me to stay focused and trust in my training,” she said.

Sahanoglu expressed his pride, noting that this victory resulted from more than a decade of hard work. “We’ve dreamed of this day for 13 years,” he said.

Ciglioglu, who holds 12 national championships along with previous third-place finishes at both world and European events, earned her first European Championship in this year’s highly competitive field.

Sahanoglu also highlighted that Ciglioglu’s win is a breakthrough for Türkiye in the 60-kilogram Full Contact division, where no Turkish athlete had previously claimed a European title. He noted the challenges in the senior division, which includes athletes aged 18 to 40, saying, “Asuman proved her strength against Europe’s best. This is a major accomplishment for Türkiye and Kastamonu.”

Ambitions set on world championship as Ciglioglu eyes next victory

Looking forward, Ciglioglu voiced her ambition to continue her success at the world level. “This win means so much to me, and now I want to be world champion,” she said.

“I’ve spent years finishing as a runner-up, so achieving this gold is a big moment. Now, I’ll keep training hard to build on this title.” Her family, friends, and local officials have pledged their support as she prepares for the next steps in her career.

Dagli confirmed that the Kastamonu sports administration will back Ciglioglu’s journey toward future victories. “We are committed to supporting Asuman,” he said. “We believe she has more to achieve, and we’re proud to stand by her in reaching those goals.”