Tarık Solak

Tarık Solak
Born1964
Ankara, Turkey
Died24 October 2020(2020-10-24) (aged 56)
Ankara
Resting placeKarşıyaka Cemetery, Ankara
CitizenshipTurkish, Australian
OccupationKickboxing promoter
Known forA1 World Combat Cup
Spouse
1
(m. 1983; div. 2005)
Children1 (Arif Solak; born 1982)

Tarık Solak (English: Tarik Solak; 1964 – 24 October 2020) was a Turkish-Australian kickboxing promoter.

Personal life

Solak was born in Ankara to a working class family with 5 children, hailing from Yozgat.[1] His family emigrated to Australia when he was five and Solak grew up in the Northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick among the Turkish community and in a crowded family.[1][2] He started his martial arts training in taekwondo under Jemal Hasan and achieved the rank of 4th dan.[2] He later pursued a career in kickboxing and became a gym manager.[2]

After a long fight with cancer, he died in October 2020, in Australia.[3][4] His funeral took place in Karşıyaka Cemetery, Ankara, on 24 October 2020.[5] Solak was married between 1983 and 2005,[6] and had one son, born 1983,[6] named Arif.[7]

Career

Solak started his career as a kickboxing promoter in 1993 with an event where Turkish fighters trained by Jemal Hasan such as Tibet Hamza, Gerald Ilhan, Recep Saka, and Gürkan Özkan were featured.[8] In the following year, Solak staged another show where Tibet Hamza vs. Gürkan Özkan bout was the main event.[2] Major Australian sports broadcaster Fox Sports began covering Solak's promotions and by 1998, as he organised a major event at the Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex.[2][8]

In 1999, Solak met K-1 founder Kazuyoshi Ishii in Japan.[8][9] After becoming the CEO for K-1's Oceania region, Solak promoted the first K-1 World Grand Prix event in Melbourne in 2001. Later K-1 fighters Mike Zambidis and Mark Hunt got their opportunities at K-1 events promoted by Solak.[2][8]

In 2003, Solak left K-1 and, by 2004, founded his new promotion A-1 World Combat Cup.[10][11] A-1 was created with a show business concept that blended kickboxing with various spectacles.[8][12] After several events in Australia, in 2005, A-1 held its first event in Istanbul[9] and Solak bolstered his ties with the European kickboxing scene through his partnership with French co-promoter Kader Marouf.[13] A-1 was well received by the Turkish public in following years and events promoted by Solak had serious representation in Turkish media.[1] By 2006 and later, the show business aspect of A-1 was even furthered by Solak with the tournament A-1 Model Boxing that featured female fashion models.[14][15] Turkish edition of Forbes magazine asserted in 2008 that the success of A-1 in Turkey resulted in a 'kickboxing economy' with very significant dimensions.[9]

In 2007, Solak was featured with a supporting role, named "Arif Boz", in Turkish TV series titled "Pusat", lasted 13 episodes, directed by Osman Sınav.[16]

Filmography and television

TV series

Year Channel Series Role Notes
2007 Show TV Pusat Arif Boz Supporting actor (13 episodes)
2018 Kanal D Yüreğin Kadar Himself Promoter (1 episode)

Guest appearances

Year Channel Program Notes
2006 TGRT Hülya Avşar Show Guest[17]
2013 CNN Turk Burada Laf Çok Guest
2016 Akit TV Spor Aktüel Guest

References

  1. ^ a b c "Tarık Solak hayatını kaybetti! Tarık Solak kimdir, kaç yaşında ve neden öldü? Tarık Solak'ın hayatı hakkında bilgiler" (in Turkish). Sabah. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f Global Promoting Phenomenon: Tarik Solak, Suheyl Yekenkurul; 14 April 2005; Turk of America Archived 13 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Kick boks efsanesi Tarık Solak hayatını kaybetti" (in Turkish). Sözcü. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. ^ "Kick boksun Türkiye'deki öncülerinden Tarık Solak vefat etti" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. Retrieved 27 November 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ^ "Kick boksunun efsane ismi Tarık Solak, toprağa verildi" (in Turkish). Fanatik. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ^ a b Özbey, Savaş (9 October 2005). "Sporun Ahmat San'ı Tarık Solak" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. Retrieved 27 November 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ "Tarık Solak kimdir, neden vefat etti? Biyografisi ve hayatıyla ilgili merak edilenler" (in Turkish). dunya.com.au. 25 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e Tarik Solak: The ascension of a remarkable promoter, Nabil Rezgui; 4 February 2007; Muay Thai TV
  9. ^ a b c İşte gerçek 'Dövüş Kulübü' Archived 14 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Murat Arslan, Sinan Özen; Forbes Türkiye; 4 August 2008
  10. ^ "Dünya kemeri için dövüşecek" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 21 January 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ^ Çelebi, Erkan (5 July 2010). "Kick Boks'a destek verdi rezidans inşaatı yarım kaldı" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. Retrieved 27 November 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  12. ^ Qu'est ce que le A1?
  13. ^ Kader Marouf: « The » ring godfather, Nabil Rezgui; 5 September 2006; Muay Thai TV
  14. ^ Yumruklar havada uçuştu, 22 April 2006; Vatan
  15. ^ Sabırla bekliyorlar, 2 April 2009; Burhan Ayeri, Akşam
  16. ^ "Bir daha çalışmam" (in Turkish). Hürriyet. 9 November 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ^ "Hülya Avşar'la şov devam ediyor" (in Turkish). Türkiye Gazetesi. 20 May 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)