As a female football player playing in Sivasspor, can we get to know you closely about your education and sports life?
Hello, I am Aslı Nazlı BOZKURT, I am continuing my education in the 3rd year of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Coaching Department. I had an interest and fondness for football from a young age. I started playing football for the first time in Tokat Niksar Municipality summer school in 2010. I entered the Niksar Municipality summer football school as the only female athlete among 60-70 male athletes. At that time, I was receiving attention and support from the mayor and Niksar circle because I was the only female student at the summer football school. Because of my football successes at school, my teachers noticed my talent and guided me by saying, "If it's not from this girl, it won't be from anyone else."
You have 8 years of football experience. Can you tell us a little about what this process has brought to you, who you have worked with?
If there was no football in my life, I would remain an ordinary and unheard of person. Thanks to women's football, I became known for my personality and football life. I became a public figure with my athlete identity. Niksar Municipality infrastructure coach Murat AKATAY is the person who discovered my football talent. I played in Ufuk Keleş Gençlik Spor in the 3rd league for 3 years and got my first license here. Then, because of my school, I started working with Sedat ÇELİK and Mustafa EYÜPOĞLU in Toki Primary School Youth Sports in 2018. Here I had the opportunity to do more team training and improve my performance. In 2019, I was entitled to go to the U17 national team preparation camp. Although I was selected for the national team, I did not have the chance to play because of the injury I suffered when I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligaments in my team's league match at the end of the camp. Even though this made me very sad, I never gave up to return to the field again. I returned to the fields again with Sivasspor Women's Football Club in 2021. I would like to thank my teacher Nevzat and my other teachers at Sivasspor for introducing me to the football community.
Could you tell us a little about your dialogue with your teammates at Sivasspor Women's Football Club and the energy you give to the team in terms of team spirit?
Since my teammates were older, we had a brother-sister relationship. I tried to improve myself and reach my old form with the experiences they gave me. I have never been able to stomach defeat in my life. In our difficult matches, whether I was in the squad or not, I told my teammates as much as I could that we would never give up and that we could achieve anything when we believed, and I always stood by them.
Which position do you play? What distinguishes you from others for this position?
I play on the left side and centre-forward. I am in these positions because I am good at scoring goals and I penetrate behind the defense with my speed. My stubbornness, belief, ambition, explosive power and tempo during the match are what distinguish me from others.
What are your methods for dealing with difficulties?
Since I was little, I have motivated myself and coped with difficulties by reading books and playing football. In this way, I learned to never give up in football and in my life.
What is your source of motivation during the match when you feel demoralized? Do you recover quickly?
I can recover quickly with the support and belief of my friends, my teacher and our fans.
How did your National Team process develop?
I was playing for the first time at the age of 13 in the 3rd League Ufuk Keleş Gençlik Sports Club in Erzincan in the Junior Girls Championship. That day, while I was unaware of the national team officials, I watched the match and learned through my coaches that my name was written on the list. Later, I started to be heard in the Black Sea and many regions with my playing. At the age of 16, I was invited to the National Team tryouts through the National Team head coach at Toki Sports Club in Samsun. I had a very nice and productive time during the national team camp. I learned more clearly that every athlete has an atmosphere that they need to see and then to move forward with professionalism and maturity. When I played my first match, I learned to control my excitement after the camp, to play professionally and to see success one step ahead. The national team camp is an environment where every athlete should breathe the air.
What is your greatest achievement so far?
My biggest dream in my life was to wear the National Team jersey and play with the crescent and star jersey. When I was selected for the National Team, I realized that this was my biggest dream, our goal, and I realized it.
What is the most important thing you learned while playing football?
I learned that sports mean peace and brotherhood through football.
