Murat Yenipazar and the Turkey national team savored the cheers from Filipino fans after facing the crowd favorite, Japan, in the pool stage.
In the knockout Round of 16, Turkey won over the Filipino supporters and defeated the Netherlands, 27-29, 25-23, 25-16, 25-19, securing its first-ever FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship quarterfinal appearance on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Buoyed by the crowd’s support, the Turks overcame a Round of 16 exit at the hands of the USA in 2022, marking their first final-eight appearance in five participations since qualifying in 1956.
“From the first game, the momentum was with us. The difference is that before, we were always playing against the crowd. Today, the crowd was with us because we asked Filipinos to cheer for us yesterday, and I think it worked,” said Yenipazar after remaining unbeaten in four games.
“In the next game, we hope for even more support from the Filipinos. We want them to come and cheer for us.”
Interestingly, Yenipazar’s wife, Maja, is Polish, but he remained focused on Turkey’s quarterfinal match, waiting to face the winner of Poland and Canada.
“She is Polish, and I’m just emotional about my wife. But I’m completely focused on my job. We respect them—I respect all their players and coaches,” said the Turkish captain.
“I’m trying to stay calm because, as one of the older players on this team, I need to guide them and keep them calm. We will focus on the next stage.”
Adis Lagumdzija, who erupted for 28 points, vowed to continue working hard during the four-day break before the quarterfinal.
“We have great momentum now. We know it’s going to be very difficult to reach the semifinals because this is the World Championship,” he said. “But we have nothing to lose. We’ll give our best because whoever advances to the next stage will be one of the top eight teams in the world. We are one of those teams, and we want to prove it in the next game.”
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