8 players in the Amputee National Team to play at a World Cup for the first time

The Amputee Football National Team has begun a training camp in Gaziantep ahead of the World Cup to be played in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, on 13-22 November. At the camp, hosted by Şahinbey Municipality, tactical work is being carried out under head coach İsmail Temiz.

The Crescent-Star squad became European champions in 2017, 2021 and 2024. It won the world title in 2022 and the Balkan title in 2024. While 7 players from the squad that won the last world title remain on the team, 8 players will wear the national shirt at a World Cup for the first time.

Temiz said they had moved to a new structure because many names from the previous squad had quit football. Noting that they are analyzing opponents and trying to build a new style of play, Temiz explained that they aim to combine the experience of the veteran players with the energy of the young ones. He also thanked Şahinbey Mayor Mehmet Tahmazoğlu and his team for supporting the camp. Temiz said, "We will go as the last champions and we will come back again as the new champions."

National player Serkan Dereli, for his part, said the team's goal is to win the title. Reporting that the new players have adapted to the team, Dereli said they could face difficulty at the tournament, especially from African teams.