Turkiye captain Murat Yenipazar admitted it will be emotional to face Poland in the FIVB World Championship quarterfinals, as his wife, Maja, is Polish, but he vowed to stay focused on leading his team.
Turkiye’s upcoming FIVB Men’s World Championship quarterfinal carries more than just the weight of history for team captain Murat Yenipazar—it carries a personal touch.
Murat's wife, Maja, is Polish. And as Turkiye now prepares for a knockout showdown against Poland, the veteran setter admitted the emotions are a little different this time around.
“I’m just emotional about my wife,” Yenipazar told reporters. “I’m totally focused on my job. We respect them, I respect them and all of their players, the coaches.”
Balancing love and competition
Yenipazar was quick to stress that his emotions won’t distract him from the task at hand. While Poland is the world's no. 1-ranked team and a heavy favorite to win, the thought of facing his wife’s homeland on such a massive stage isn’t lost on him.
“Let’s not talk about all these because they still have a game and I don’t want to be disrespectful to Canada because they are playing amazing,” he said, as Turkiye was the first to advance by playing the earlier game.
Still, with the matchup now materialized, the storyline writes itself: the captain of Turkiye leading his country into its first-ever World Championship quarterfinal, facing the very nation that raised the woman he calls his greatest support.
Staying grounded
For now, Yenipazar remains focused on guiding Turkiye, which has already made history by reaching the Worlds’ last eight for the first time after finishing 11th in 2022.
“I am trying to stay calm because if I get more excited, now that I am one of the older players in this team, I just need to give them advice to stay calm,” he said.
“We will be focusing on the next stage.”
[ALSO READ: Adis Lagumdzija keeps ‘nothing to lose’ mindset as Turkiye advances to FIVB Worlds quarterfinals]
The Turkish team captain also called on Filipino fans to come out and support the team in what will be their biggest match yet.
“Today, the crowd was with us because we sent a message yesterday for Filipinos to cheer for us. I think it’s working,” said Yenipazar. “On the next game, we want more support from the Filipinos and we want them to come and cheer for us.”
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.