THE WRESTLER OF JAHAN YAŞAR DOĞU

When the Russians conquered the Caucasus, the Caucasian Turks were forced to go into exile in Anatolia. Some of the exiles settled in the village of Karlı in the Kavak district of Samsun. The Ubih tribe was also among them. Osman Çavuş of the tribe gave birth to his son Yaşar in 1913. When Yaşar was still a baby, his father, who had returned from the Balkan War as a veteran, was called back to the front and was never heard from again. He and his mother returned to Emirli to live with his grandfather. Trained by his grandfather, a former wrestler, he soon became famous in his neighbourhood. Although his mother, Feride Hanım, initially disapproved of her son's wrestling, she later became very supportive.

Yaşar Doğu was called up for military service in April 1937. At the urging of a friend, he enrolled in the Ankara Wrestling Club, where he was introduced to mat wrestling. The managers opposed his selection for the national team because of his inexperience. At the insistence of the Finnish coach Onni Pellinen, he was included in the national team. In 1938 he was demobilised a week before the Republic Day. He continued to wrestle for the club.

At the 1939 European Championships in Oslo, he defeated three of his opponents but lost one match by a single point and finished second in the 66 kg European championship. In 1940, at the VI Balkan Games in Istanbul, he again wins his first international championship in his former weight class. On 15 March 1940 he married Hayriye Hanım from Samsun Vezirköprü.

During the Second World War, all international sporting activities were suspended for six years. After the war, all eyes were on the 1946 European Freestyle Wrestling Championships. Despite having a fever of 39-40 due to malaria, he decides to wrestle in the championship and becomes European Champion in the 73 kg category, winning all six of his bouts.

In February 1947, at the European Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships, he fights superior, overwhelming, unforgettable and unforgettable fights against both the wrestlers from the Iron Curtain countries and the referees who take sides, and wins the European Championship in the 73 kg category. He became known as the "black-haired god of strength", as the Swedes called him.

At the 1948 London Olympics, despite stomach problems, he became Olympic champion in the -73 kg category.

At the 1949 European Championships he became European Champion in the -79kg category.

In 1950 he went on a tour of Iraq and Pakistan, demonstrating his superior wrestling skills to the Eastern world.

In 1951, at the World Championships in Helsinki, he won the 87 kg category. On his return from the championships, he was given a coaching job. With a team of youngsters, he led all eight of his pupils to a gold medal at the Mediterranean Games. 

Although he wanted to take part in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and prepared well, he was not allowed to wrestle due to bureaucratic errors and obstacles. As a result, Yaşar Doğu was offended and decided to give up wrestling.

He won six of the seven international championships in which he competed for twelve years. He won 46 out of 47 international competitions, 33 of them by pinfall. While the normal duration of 46 competitions should have been 690 minutes, he achieved victory in 372 minutes and 26 seconds.

Out of love for his flag and his country, he turned down offers from many countries to become a coach with extraordinary promises.

In 1955, while coaching the national team in Sweden, he suffered a heart attack and was treated for a long time. Although the doctors told him not to get tired, Yaşar Doğu was tired of finding new wrestlers in Anatolia, feeding and training them, and coaching the team.

On 8 January 1961, he suddenly fell ill at home and died. His mother, his wife Hayriye Hanım, his children, the world wrestling authorities and all his loved ones burst into tears. He was buried with a ceremony at the Military Martyrs' Cemetery in Ankara.