From football fields to university campus
Doğu Demirkol, who started football at the age of 9 in Göztepe club, proved his talent in a short time and wore the national team uniform for 16 times so far, carried his success in sports to academic life. Having once again proved that sports and education can be carried out together, Demirkol, who enrolled in the Department of Civil Engineering at Izmir University of Economics (IUE) this year, said, “Two years ago, I suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during the match. Although my career was in danger, I could not drop out of football. However, I clearly understood that I should focus on my education along with football. I set myself a goal to be a civil engineer like my father and got into the department I wanted.”
18-year-old Doğu Demirkol, who lives in Bornova district of Izmir, took the first step to football, which he was passion about since childhood, in Göztepe, one of the Super League teams. Demirkol, who started his career in Göztepe by participating in the tryouts while in primary school, quickly climbed the ladder of success. Drawing attention with his interest and talent in football, Demirkol worked with determination and got into the Turkish National Team. Demirkol, who wore the National uniform for 16 times in the U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17 and U-19 categories, successfully competed in matches played against many countries such as England, Romania, Italy, Montenegro, Belarus, Sweden, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as left-back. Demirkol, who is currently in Göztepe's U-19 team, aims to become a professional next year.
I DIDN'T WANT TO ADHERE TO FOOTBALL ONLY
Stating that the workout programs were also affected by the pandemic, but he continued to work out for about 2 hours every day with the guidance of private coaches, Demirkol said, “Football is a passion for me that started in childhood and never waned. Starting to play football in Göztepe with the support of my family, allowed me to experience a completely different period. I developed myself both physically and spiritually in middle school and high school, and I had unforgettable experiences by getting into the National Team. Football has given me a lot in every way. However, one should not stick to one thing in life. Just playing good football does not mean that you will choose the right path for yourself. I suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during a match two years ago.
I was away from the fields for months. This showed me that I should focus on my education and not give up my academic career. Some people are prejudiced that it is difficult to combine sports and education. I wanted to show that this is not true, and I succeeded.”
I CHOOSE MY FATHER'S PROFESSION
Demirkol continued as follows: “My father is a civil engineer. I also wanted to do his job. My mind was set on primarily civil engineering, possibly mechanical engineering. I studied hard for the exam and achieved my goal by getting into Izmir University of Economics. Face-to-face learning is currently not possible due to coronavirus. We continue our lessons online. Pandemic also affected our work outs and match schedule in Göztepe. I have a private coach, I work for about 2 hours every day within a certain schedule, in the time left from my lessons. I am in the U-19 team and it is one of my biggest goals to wear Göztepe uniform professionally next year.”