Dubai: UAE based Pakistan athlete Sinan Ashfaq Ahmed continued his winning spree as he won gold medal at the prestigious Albania Open Taekwondo G-2 Championship. He defeated his Italian rival Maggiore Stefano in the semi-final and then beat the Greek player Vailezoudis Michai in the grueling final match to win his gold medal in the under 78 weight category. Sinan plays for the Sharjah Sports Club.
He also represented Pakistan in the Junior World Cup in Bulgaria and performed well for his country.
“This is indeed a big win for young Sinan as the competition was very tough with athletes participating from around the world,” said Abdullah Hatim, Head Coach of Sharjah Sport Club. Hatim said that Sinan has the potential to shine at more international events.
Col. (retired) Waseem Ahmed Janjua, president of Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) said he is proud of Sinan’s achievements as he has won a number of medals for his country. “I wish him best of luck for his future endeavours as we continue to provide him all possible support,” he added.
Confidence indeed plays a key role in how Sinan gets on as he competes against the best of international athletes that have the potential to be nurtured into future Olympic champions.
Sinan Ahmed who just turned 17 in August and is a 3rd Dan Black Belt, has already left a huge mark in the sport. He has entered a total of 17 competitions including 11 international tournaments“The international events were tough due to the higher quality of athletes competing in them.” That has not stopped him from winning a total of 8 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze medals.
A member of the Pakistan National Taekwondo Team, Sinan said in an earlier interview that he is very proud to represent his country. “It’s amazing really. I hope I will make my country and people proud.
About his training, Sinan said that he has been doing a mixture of endurance work, stamina and technical training. “Most of the time, I trained at Sharjah Sports Club with the well experienced Taekwondo and fitness coaches in the UAE.”
A healthy and balanced diet is vital too and unlike most teens Ahmed avoids junk food and sugary drinks. “I have a protein rich diet – milk, yogurts, eggs, meat and fruit are integral part of my daily food plan.”
But taekwondo – one of the most systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts – hasn’t just done wonders for his body, it has improved his confidence and self-esteem too. “It makes me happy that I am improving myself, enhancing my social skills, my willpower and it made me believe that I can do anything if I have focus and determination,” he beams. It has also improved his concentration and focus in his studies.
