Handball player Cemal Kütahya among the victims of the earthquake

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Handball player Cemal Kütayha (in the background) at an international match in 2020

Photo:

Soenar Chamid / IMAGO / Aflosport

Handball player Cemal Kütahya is dead. After the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the captain of the Turkish national team was rescued from the rubble.

His five-year-old son also died in the disaster.

This was announced by the World Handball Federation IHF on Tuesday.

"It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Cemal Kütahya, the captain of our men's national handball team, and his son Cinar Kütahya, who were buried under the rubble of their home in the city of Antakya," the Turkish official press release said Handball Federation (THF).

One of the best beach handball players in Turkey

The 32-year-old Kütahya played in the right backcourt and had last played for the Turkish club Büyüksehir Belediyespor in Hatay.

Antakya is in Hatay Province, which is about 200 kilometers from the earthquake's epicenter and is particularly hard hit.

Kütahya was also one of the best beach handball players in his country, for which he was the top scorer at the Beach European Championship 2021 with 151 goals.

The Turkish national team is currently fighting indoors for qualification for the 2024 European Championships in Germany.

After two defeats, captain Kütahya should have led his team into the two games against Luxembourg in early March.

The second leg is scheduled for March 11 in Konya, the city also affected by the earthquake.

It is currently unknown whether the games will take place.

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