Özlem Yalman


Özlem Yalman is a Turkish female pro basketball referee, a former basketball player, and a school teacher for physical education.

Early years

Özlem was born in Adana, Turkey in 1977 to Nezih Yalman, who died in Izmir at age 64 in 2014.
She studied Physical Education and Sports at Ege University in Izmir. After graduation, she was appointed teacher for physical education in a school at Antalya, in which she serves as the only instructor for her branch.

Sports career

Yalman played basketball during her university years, and in Karşıyaka Basket in the Turkish Women's Basketball Second League.
In 1995, she obtained a referee license, and in 2004 she was promoted to A-class official status. Currently, she officiates basketball matches of the Turkish Basketball Super League and Turkish Women's Basketball League.
After successfully completing the FIBA referee candidate program in Bologna, Italy in 2010 and passing the subsequent exam in Gaziantep, Turkey, she became a FIBA-listed referee. Since 2011, she has been tasked to officiate several basketball competitions at world and European level.

International participations

;2011
;2013
;2014
;2015
;2016
;2019