Wrestler, World and Olympic
Champion. He was born in Eskiköy in Doğanşar district of Sivas on the 31st
of March 1938. He started wrestling in Güreşe village. At the age of 12-13 he
went to his brother in Istanbul. Being encouraged by his teachers AhmetÇakır
and Hüseyin in Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club (BJK) he joined Istanbul championships
among other young wrestlers with the license of Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club.
Missing his hometown, he returned to
his village in 1956. In wrestling championships in the region in that year he
did not give “Wrestling Championship” to anyone and proved the level he reached
in wrestling. In October of 1961 he defeated all his opponents in wrestling
competitions within “Karakucak (a wrestling style) Turkey Championship” in
Adana, received 6 gold awards and returned to his village as a hero. He is now
Karakucak Champion of Turkey.
In 1962 he joined the National Team
and came second in “Adriatic Cup” in Belgrade in the category of 87 kg and he
won again in the match against the Iranian team the same year. In a friendly
match against Japanese in Konya in 1963, he managed to defeat his strong
opponents. The same year he joined Mediterranean Games organized in Napoli /
Italy in freestyle and became champion in the category of 97 kg. One year later
he defeated his Bulgarian opponent in the last match of Balkan Championship
organized in Köstence city of Rumania in 1964 and became Balkan Champion. This
success increased the growing interest of wrestling authorities in the new
champion.
In 1964 Tokyo Olympics his last
match was against the legendary Russian wrestler Medved. Not only audience, but
all televisions, newspapers, even referees and athletes followed it with
curiosity. AhmetAyık also won this match and defeated Medved scoring 2-1.
When he landed to Moscow for Tbilisi
Tournament in 1965, all journalists gathered around him and asked him “What are
you going to do with Medved”. The answer they received from our champion became
a headline in the newspapers of the next day: “I came to defeat Medved here,
in front of his own audience.” When the Russian Medved feared AhmetAyık in
this tournament and he did not join the category of 97 kg but heavyweight, this
match did not happen. AhmetAyık defeated 3 of 4 Russian wrestlers, his Polish
and Bulgarian opponents in the category of 97 kg, became champion and was
elected the most technical wrestler of the tournament. For the first time in
his life he managed to receive 2 medals and 2 diplomas in the same time. His
fame now spread to the whole world.
In 1965 World Championship organized
in Manchester city of England he wrestled the famous Russian wrestler Medved in
the category of 97 kg. The whole audience and world sports public were in
excitement. AhmetAyık started this match shouting “Allah” and forces his
opponent to stay in the edges during the whole match. Medved continuously
escaped. Our champion defeated and dominated Medved. The legend of Russian Tank Medved finished.
In European Championship organized
in Germany’s Karlsruhe city in 1966 Ayık became world champion, unbeaten. In
Toledo he became world’s number two of 97kg.
In European Championship done in
Istanbul in 1967 the favorite of 97 kg was incontestably AhmetAyık. In this
championship he faced Yugoslavian, Rumanian, Hungarian opponents and in the
final the famous Russian champion Lomitze. He defeated all of them and became
European Champion of 97 kg.
The World Championship was the next.
AhmetAyık joined this championship, which was organized in a stadium in India’s
New Delhi city in 1967. His opponent in the championship match was one of his
archrivals Lomitze. Ayık won this match overwhelmingly and became again the
best and greatest in 97 kg. Ayık returned to the country and was announced as
“Conqueror of India” during the “Turkey Championship of Institutions”.
In Mexico to where he went for 1968
Olympic Games he defeated his American, Mongolian, Polish and Hungarian
opponents and became the Olympic Champion.
Our champion made 8 matches in 1968
in Turkey Championship and all of them lasted 6 minutes. In 1969 he joined the
boycott of head of the federation of national team wrestlers and did not hang 2
European and 1 World Championship gold medals to his neck. In the first months
of 1970 he defeated all his opponents in Turkey Championship organized in İzmir
Alsancak Atatürk sports hall and became champion. AhmetAyık joined Berlin
Olympiads organized in Eastern Berlin in 100 kg. He defeated his opponents,
finally his Bulgarian opponent and made it to the finals. There he faced Ivan
Yarigin, the new unbeaten champion of Russians. In the match, which was done in
3 periods of 3 minutes, he realized a perfect “AhmetAyık Grip” and won the match.
He became Olympic Champion again. Later he joined matches as a licensed
wrestler of Kayseri Airplane Factory Air Supply Maintenance Center Air Forces
Club. He wrestled for İstanbul DenizbankSpor. In this period he became Turkey
Champion. Later he wrestled in Batman Petrolspor (a company of
TürkiyePetrolleri) and Ankaragücü (MKA) Sports Club for 14 years.
AhmetAyık finished his active sports
career after becoming Olympic Champion in Berlin in 1970. In his life
afterwards he served to the Turkish wrestling as an administrator. In 1978 he
became Chairman of Wrestling Federation. Later he resigned from this duty on
his own will and founded “Turkish Wrestling Foundation” with 12 founder members
in 1980. In 1993 he was elected Chairman to the foundation he established.
During his duty he built the sports complex, Çam Hotel in Ahlatlıbel
and Mausoleum in Ankara Karşıyaka which belonged to Turkish Wrestling
Foundation. In December of 1996 he was elected to the Chairmanship of
Wrestling Federation and continued this duty as well. In 1998 he was appointed
Member of Executive Board by FILA and in 2010 Chairman of Executive Board. He
continued his service to Turkish sports as an administrator.
He played the
leading role in the movie in which he played the role of the famous wrestler
Kurtdereli Mehmet Pehlivan in 1998. Ayık donated the incomes and copyrights of
this movie which was published in a series of three episodes in TRT to Turkish
Wrestling Foundation.
