Gazanfer Bilge
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| Born | (1924-07-23)23 July 1924 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 20 April 2008(2008-04-20) (aged 83) Istanbul, Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Turkey | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Freestyle | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Kasımpaşa S.K. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Gazanfer Bilge (23 July 1924 – 20 April 2008) was a Turkish freestyle wrestler, businessman and philanthropist. He won the gold medal in the men's freestyle featherweight event at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and the gold medal at the 1946 European Wrestling Championships in Stockholm.[1]
Bilge was born in Karamürsel, Kocaeli, on 23 July 1924. He began wrestling at the age of 17 and later joined the national team during his military service. He competed for Kasımpaşa S.K., one of the leading Turkish clubs of the period.[1][2]
His first major international title came at the 1946 European Wrestling Championships, where he won the men's freestyle 62 kg gold medal.[1] Two years later, he produced the finest result of his career at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Wrestling at Earls Court Exhibition Centre, he defeated Hassan Sadian of Iran, Ferenc Tóth of Hungary, Robert Jouaville of France, Hal Moore of the United States, and Paavo Hietala of Finland, winning all five bouts by fall. After receiving a bye in the sixth round, he met Sweden's Ivar Sjölin in the final round and won by unanimous decision to take the gold medal in the 62 kg division.[3]
Bilge's competitive career came to an end soon after his Olympic success. The cash reward he received for his gold medal led to his being classed as a professional under the amateur rules of the time, which prevented him from continuing at Olympic level.[1]
After retiring from competition, Bilge became a businessman and remained active in public life through philanthropy. He supported the construction of educational and social institutions in and around Karamürsel, including facilities for hearing-impaired students and other community projects. In 2002, he received the International Fair Play Committee's Service to Sports and Community Trophy.[1][4]
In 2006, Kocaeli University awarded him an honorary doctorate for his contributions to education. The following year, he received the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Outstanding Service Award.[4][5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gazanfer Bilge". Olympedia. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Our Club". Kasımpaşa S.K. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Featherweight, Freestyle (≤62 kg), Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Şampiyon Güreşçimiz Gazanfer Bilge kabri başında anıldı". Kocaeli Gençlik ve Spor İl Müdürlüğü (in Turkish). 20 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- 1 2 "Dünya ve Olimpiyat Şampiyonu Gazanfer Bilge'nin vefatı". Grand National Assembly of Turkey (in Turkish). 20 April 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
External links
- Gazanfer Bilge at Olympedia
- Gazanfer Bilge at Olympics.com
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