Olympic Boxing Profile: Buse Naz Cakiroglu

In the 11th of a series of profiles leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, we are taking a look at some of the world’s elite boxers who will be competing at the biggest sporting event of the world this month. Here is Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Trabzon, Turkey, the favourite in the women’s flyweight boxing division.

World Champion

Cakiroglu won the gold medal in the women’s light flyweight division at the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championships in her home country of Turkey. She defeated Balsangiin Mongonsaran of Mongolia 5-0 in the first round, Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria 5-0 in the second round, Aira Villegas of the Philippines 5-0 in the quarterfinals, bronze medalist Laura Fuertes of Spain 4-0 in the semifinals, and silver medalist Ingrit Valencia of Colombia 5-0 in the gold medal bout in Istanbul. Aziza Yokubova of Uzbekistan won the other bronze medal.

Olympic Silver Medalist

Cakiroglu placed second in the women’s flyweight division at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. The only boxer to beat Cakiroglu was gold medalist Stoyka Krasteva of Bulgaria, who beat Cakiroglu 5-0 in the gold medal bout. Cakiroglu beat Tursunoy Rakhimova of Uzbekistan 3-2 in the second round, Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand 5-0 in the quarterfinals, and bronze medalist Hsiao-wen Huang of Chinese Taipei in the semifinals. Tsukimi Namiki of Japan won the other bronze medal.

Three-time European Champion

Cakiroglu has won three European Boxing Championships in the past. She beat Elena Savelyeva of Russia in the flyweight division final in 2019 in Alcobendas, Spain, Caitlin Fryers of Ireland in the light flyweight division final in 2022 in Budva, Montenegro, and Anastasiia Kool of Russia in the flyweight division final in 2024 in Belgrade.

Turkey’s Olympic Boxing History

In the history of the Olympic Games, Turkey has won seven medals (one gold, three silver, and three bronze). The only Turkish gold medal in Olympic boxing history came in the women’s welterweight division when Busenaz Surmeneli placed first.