Diğdem Hoşgör, one of Turkish women's handball's most experienced figures and a former member of the senior national team, has ended her playing career. The 34-year-old left playmaker shared the decision on her personal Instagram account.
In her post, Hoşgör emphasized that for 23 years she chased her dreams, fell, got back up, and never gave up. Looking back on her career, the national player said she felt pride rather than regret, and thanked her family for carrying the weight of the jersey alongside her, as well as the fans who never withheld their affection. Hoşgör described the fans' support as the greatest reward of her career.
Born on October 2, 1991 in Antalya to a handball-playing father, Hoşgör grew up in a family deeply immersed in the sport; her older sister, Sinem Hoşgör Eyövge, also played handball. Standing 1.80 meters tall, she spent her career as a left playmaker and was known for her attacking prowess. Called up to the beach handball national team in 2009, Hoşgör also wore the national jersey for many years in indoor handball.
After many seasons representing Muratpaşa–Konyaaltı Belediyespor in her hometown of Antalya — with whom she finished third in the league during the 2010-11 season — Hoşgör joined Eskişehir club Odunpazarı Spor Kulübü for the final stop of her career. Wearing jersey number 26 at Odunpazarı, the veteran continued to make her mark, finishing the 2025-26 Women's Super League regular season as the league's top scorer with 144 goals in 14 matches, 21 of them from 7-meter throws. That same season, she was named MVP after helping her team advance to the semifinals in the quarterfinals of the Turkish Handball Federation's 50th Anniversary Federation Cup.
The retirement announcement, coming after what could be considered a career-peak season, drew widespread reaction across the Turkish handball community. Hoşgör's post quickly received a large number of likes and messages of support.
