Turkish sports documentary gets US film awards

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish volleyball documentary won two awards Monday in the US.

The Istanbul-based VakifBank Sports Club said on Twitter that "Gozde The Fighter," which narrated the story of the team's Turkish captain, Gozde Kirdar, won in the “Best Sports Film” category at the 2020 New York International Film Awards and the Oniros Film Awards.

Kirdar was one of the best volleyball players in Turkey, spending her entire 19-year career in a single club, VakifBank.

The club said on its website that the 2019 documentary will be shown to the public at the Producers’ Club near Times Square in New York City.

In the 25-minute documentary, her parents, sister, teammates and head coach talk about their memories of the 35-year-old star.

In the film, the club's Italian volleyball coach Giovanni Guidetti, praises Kirdar for her perseverance, leadership and passion for the game.

"She was so tough," Guidetti said, as her pain level was much higher than that of an average person.

"Other people would have gone to the hospital. But for Gozde, it [an injury] was nothing. And she was able to keep performing and keep training.

"She is a player that every coach in the world -- but not even about volleyball -- I mean every coach in soccer, basketball, cricket, they need one player like Gozde in the court," Guidetti added.

The Turkish club honored their legend Kirdar by retiring her No. 2 jersey in November 2019 in a ceremony and showed the documentary for the first time of this event.

A former Turkish international, Kirdar won the 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2018 CEV Champions League titles with VakifBank.

She was named the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League MVP (Most Valuable Player).

Kirdar was a member of the Turkish national volleyball team, winning a bronze medal in the 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix.

She retired from the game in 2018.

Her twin sister, Ozge Kirdar Kinasts, is also a professional volleyball player.