Abdullah Öztürk, born in 1989 in Trabzon, is a Paralympic national athlete who has battled congenital muscle atrophy. He retained the ability to walk until the age of eight, but due to underdeveloped muscles, he lost this ability and began using a wheelchair to navigate life. Within the context of his health condition and educational opportunities, he relocated with his family from Trabzon to Ankara.^【1】

Abdullah Öztürk began his education in Ankara at Doğan Çağlar Special Vocational School, where he first engaged in sports.^【2】

Representing Türkiye in classes 4 and 5 in professional sports, Abdullah Öztürk has achieved success on the international stage. He won gold medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.^【3】The gold medal won at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games marked Türkiye’s first Olympic championship in table tennis. At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, Abdullah Öztürk secured first place in the men’s singles class 4 category, bringing another gold medal to the country.^【4】He also received a congratulatory phone call from President Erdoğan for this achievement.^【5】

Abdullah Öztürk’s medal journey began in 2010 at the World Championships held in South Korea, where he won a bronze medal in the team event. In 2011 at the European Championships in Croatia, he placed third individually and second in the team category. At the 2013 European Championships in Italy, he won individual gold and team silver, and in 2014 at the World Championships in China, he secured second place in the team category.

^{Abdullah Öztürk} (Anadolu Ajansı)

In 2015 in Denmark, Öztürk won silver in the individual category and gold in the team event. At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, he claimed individual gold and team bronze, securing Türkiye’s first-ever Olympic title in table tennis. In 2017 at the European Championships in Slovenia, he placed second individually and first in the team event; the same year, he became world champion in the team category in Slovakia. In 2018 in Slovenia, he earned second place at the World Championships, and in 2019 in Sweden, he won European titles in both individual and team categories.^【6】At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games final, he defeated his South Korean opponent 3–1 to win gold, becoming the first athlete in table tennis to win two consecutive Olympic championships.^【7】

^{Abdullah Öztürk} (Anadolu Ajansı)

In addition to his sporting achievements, Öztürk has received various awards for his contributions to society and academia. He was honored under the Mustafa V. Koç Sports Awards in the Paralympic Athlete category.^【8】As part of his academic outreach, he visited Gazi University Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız, and in his honor, a tree was planted on campus.^【9】

Additionally, at an event titled “No Obstacles to Success with Paralympic Champion Abdullah Öztürk” held at Çankaya University, he shared his experiences with students.^【10】President Erdoğan hosted athletes who won medals at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, and Öztürk participated in this event.^【11】