Taekwondo Archives

Pakistan team departs for Al Fujairah Open Taekwondo championship

KARACHI: A nine-player contingent of national taekwondo players including two female athletes, has departed for UAE to participate in the 10th Al Fujairah Open International Taekwondo Championship scheduled from February 5 to 8.

Haroon Khan, Shahzaib, Hamza Saeed, Mazhar Abbas, Sanan Ashfaq, Arbaaz Khan, Naqsh Hamdani and Fatima Zehra will represent Pakistan at the event.

Meanwhile, head coach Yousaf Karami, manager Asif Khan and physiotherapist Faisal Butt are also part of the Pakistani contingent.

“We’ve prepared well for this event and will try our best to bring the medal back home,” expressed Haroon before flying out to UAE from Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport on Friday.

Pakistan Taekwondo Federation officials were also present at the airport to see off the players and boost their confidence.

It is pertinent to mention that Al Fujairah Championship is a G2-ranked taekwondo event organized by the Fujairah Martial Arts Club.

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Hamza, Mazhar bag golds for Pakistan at Taekwondo C’ship in Nepal

POKHARA: Pakistani athletes Hamza Umar Saeed and Mazhar Abbas clinched gold medals after dominating Indian opponents at the 3rd Mount Everest International Open Taekwondo Championship held in Pokhara, Nepal.

Pakistan’s gold tally in the event reached six after these remarkable wins.

Meanwhile, Haroon Khan and Arbaaz Khan secured the silver medals in the championship.

In the final of the 87-plus category Kyorugi event, Hamza Saeed outclassed the Indian opponent Gaurav Bhatt by 11-2 in the first round and 11-4 in the second round.

Mazhar, on other hand, triumphed in the 80-category final as he beat India’s Rishab after a thrilling competition. Mazhar outpowered the opponent in the first round by 9-7, who then came back strongly and claimed the second round 8-3.

However, in the third round, Mazhar upped the ante and unleashed a vigorous attack to knock down the Indian opponent with 9-0.

Moreover, in the 58kg final, Korea’s Tae Joon Park defeated Pakistan’s Haroon Khan by 9-1 and 11-3.

India’s Shivam Sudesh Shetty edged past Pakistan’s Arbaaz Khan 6-5, 7-2 in the 63kg final.

In the women’s 57-kg semifinal, India’s Sonam Rawal beat Pakistani counterpart Noor Rehman 3-0 and 4-0. Noor, however, managed the bronze medal.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistani athletes bagged three golds, two silver and two bronze medals in the Kyorugi event of the Championship.

Whereas, in the Poomsae event the national athletes won three golds, a silver and four bronze medals.

Overall, Pakistan won six gold, three silver and six bronze medals in the championship.

Pakistan’s Poomsae coach Master Seong Oh Choi of Korea and Kyorugi coach Yousuf Karami of Iran praised the national athletes for their outstanding performances in the Mt. Everest International Open Taekwondo Championship.

They hoped that these remarkable accomplishments would prove beneficial for the athletes as they prepare for the Combaxx Asian Championship scheduled in Islamabad in November later this year.

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Pakistan team departs for Korea to partake in Taekwondo Championships

KARACHI: Pakistan Taekwondo team departed for South Korea to participate in the upcoming Taekwondo event which includes the Chechuan Open International Championship and the Asian Poomsae and Kyorugi Championships.

To participate in the continental event, the Kyorugi team comprises Mazhar Abbas, Hamza Umar Saeed, Muhammad Iqbal, Haroon Khan, Shahzeb Khan, Fatima Zahra Khawar, and Zoya Sabir and will be supervised by the Iran head coach Yousuf Karami.

The fifth Den Korean Master Seong Oh Choi, on the other hand, will serve as the head coach of the three-member Poomsae squad featuring Mohammad Wasim Javed, Shahzeb Ahmed, and Flower Zaheer.

Speaking on the team’s preparations, Oh Choi claimed that the team is mentally and physically fit, while is also hopeful for his team to reach the winning stand.

“The players have trained hard for the upcoming championship in Korea. They are physically and mentally fit and will try to reach the victory stand with 100 percent performance,” Oh Choi stated.

The participating player Zaheer, on the other hand, also spoke on the departure and shared his excitement about the championships and claimed that it will help the team to improve their performance.

“Participating in international events will enhance our skills and experience,” Zaheer stated.

The President of the Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) Colonel Wasim Janjua stated that the Pakistan teams will be up against the top-performing sides of the continent but is hopeful that the 10-day training camp will help the team in the event.

“The teams participating in the event are among the best in Asia, but we are also well prepared. The experience of the 10-day training camp in Iran will be very helpful for our players in the event and I hope that our young athletes will use all their abilities to win medals for the country,” President PTF Janjua stated.

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