Hello Ms. Ayşe, As far as we know, Malatya Ladies Sports Club has a different story. Can you tell us a little about it?
Our club has not seen any value, support, etc. for years, and because of this, the talents of many of my friends like me are not seen and are not held by our hands.
Can you tell us about the efforts of your coaches and your President on the team?
Our esteemed teachers and president, Deniz Doğan Çelebi, have been giving us more attention, support and help than necessary for years and have been with us. They teach us to be a family first. Even though no one supported us in Malatya, our president and our teachers always worked hard to help us reach the best places.
You have been playing in Malatya Ladies Sports for 3 seasons. Have you played in school teams before?
Yes, during my secondary school period, thanks to my teacher Mehmet Gültaş, he made me play and he was my biggest supporter, he noticed my talent and helped me in every way. Thanks to him, I came to these places.
Can you tell us a little about your experiences at the Club?
In our club, I learned how to be a sister and a sister, respect, love, falling together and rising together. We were always together the whole time I was playing. Even though we had good and bad days, we got together. We gathered together and played this season to ensure that we would never leave our team alone in the great disaster that befell us this year and that all that effort would not be in vain. Of course, even though we strived for our Malatya, we were not given any support or help during this difficult period, neither from TFF nor from other places. Despite this, we started with our esteemed president, our teachers and our families aside.
What position do you play, what are the difficulties of the position you play, and what skills do you use to turn these difficulties into an advantage?
My position was right wing and my difficulties in the position I played were to help the defense, and when I needed to turn it into an advantage, I used my speed and strength, which was a plus.
Can you tell us who the football players you take as role models are and why?
I take Ali Krieger, the star player who plays for USA, as an example because I try to emulate his ambition, determination and playing style. I follow and watch him very fondly.
What is the interest and support of the people of Malatya and the authorities towards women's football?
Our team, which has been established for years, was neither supported nor helped in any way. Together with our president and my teammates, we were asking our mayor, the governor's office, every state institution to go and support us. Although we have been going and saying it ourselves for years, unfortunately they did not even pay attention to it by recording it. This situation makes us very sad. When there were men's football matches in Malatya, the stands were full, thousands of people came, even the mayors went to watch and support, but even though our matches were played in our own city, only our own families and friends came, not even half of the stands were full. For years, we have tried to work shoulder to shoulder with our team and get the reward of our efforts ourselves, but we still could not get it because we were not strong enough.
What problems do female football players experience in Türkiye and what solutions do you want from the authorities?
Due to the prejudice against women's football for years, many teams like ours have not received support, so they cannot reach better places in line with their talents. What I want from the authorities is that the coaches of the big teams should go to the teams in the East and take care of the players, and their talents should be discovered. For example, my talent was not discovered. One of my dreams is to play in big women's football teams like Fenerbahçe and work hard. I want to embrace football and strive even more.
