Yeliz Özel

Yeliz Özel (born 6 March 1980, in Ankara) is a Turkish retired handballer, who last played for İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi GSK and the Turkish national team. She is widely considered the best handball player ever from Turkey.

Club career
She started her career in Ankara team PTT, played the first European Cup level matches the same year. With outstanding skills in game-reading, Yeliz was labelled as a 'prominent young talent' by several handball experts. She transferred to Norway League for Byåsen HE in Trondheim, played there one full season. Then she came back to Turkey to play in Eskisehir Anadolu University and Üsküdar Bld. SK.

In 2004, Yeliz went to Skopje to playing for Kometal Gjorče Petrov Skopje. After a brilliant stint there, she was one of the best players of EHF Champions League 2004–05 season. She scored 61 goals and made a huge contribution to promote her team final.

In June 2010, Yeliz Özel signed for Romania's top club CS Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea. She played two seasons in Romania before returning to her home country.

Özel returned home in June 2012 to rejoin her former team Üsküdar Bld. SK. After one season, she transferred to the Ankara-based team Yenimahalle Bld. SK.

International career
Özel was a member of the Turkey women's national handball team and served as their captain. She was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 2009 Mediterranean Games held in Pescara, Italy. In 2017, she won the silver medal with the national team at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaycan.

In April 2022, Yeliz Özel retired from the national team after 27 years.

Honours

 * Turkish Women's Handball Super League
 * Winners (5): 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09,  2009–10,  2014–15
 * Runners-up (2): 2012–13, 2013–14


 * Women's EHF Champions League
 * Runner-up (1): 2004–05


 * Mediterranean Games
 * Runner-up (1): 2009
 * Islamic Solidarity Games
 * Silver medal (1): 2017