Osman Çakmak

Osman Çakmak was the sixth and last child born in 1977 into a farm family in the village of Narlıkışla in the Zile district of Tokat Province, Turkey in 1977.[1]

He was schooled in his village. After finishing primary school, he went to Istanbul with two of his brothers to look for work.[2] Çakmak discontinued his education because of his passion for playing football.[1] Despite his brothers' objections, he joined Zeytinburnuspor football club. Çakmak worked as a carpenter and supported his parents financially. He needed to earn more money to support his family when his brothers were conscripted, so he went to Russia as a foreign worker. Çakmak returned to Turkey and quit his football team's squad.[2]

When he was conscripted, Çakmak chose the Commando unit and was stationed at the Iraq–Turkey border.[2] In 1997, he stepped on an anti-personnel mine planted under a road's surface in Şenoba, Şırnak, southeastern Turkey, while he was on a road security detail, and lost his left leg below the knee.[1]

In 2008, at the time of his therapy, while he was on his way to the military hospital in Ankara, Çakmak decided to play amputee football at the suggestion of his commanders.[1]

In 2019, his parents were poisoned by gas leaking from a stove; his mother Sultan died, while his father was treated at an intensive care station.[2]

In 2010, he was admitted to Turkey's national amputee team.[4] He participated in the European and world championships in 2010,[4] 2012 and 2014. The national team placed third among 24 nations. He captained the national team,[1] which became champion of the 2017 European Amputee Football Championship and the runner-up of the 2018 Amputee Football World Cup.[1][5]

In 2020, he was appointed manager of the national amputee football team,[5] which won the 2021 European Amputee Football Championship under his direction.[6]