Dubai: UAE-based taekwondo player Ammar Ashfaq Ahmad has made it to the Pakistan national squad that will participate in two major events in Tunisia next month.
Ammar will represent Pakistan at the World Taekwondo Qualification Tournament for Buenos Aires 2018 and the World Taekwondo Junior Championship 2018 as a member of the under-63kg weight category.
“We are pleased to include the UAE-based Pakistani player in our national taekwondo team. We believe that Ammar has the capability and strength to perform well at these two international events,” Col (Retd.) Waseem Ahmad Janjua, President, Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF), said.
He observed that Ammar had earned his place in the team after winning the gold and being crowned national champion in his weight category in December last year. Janjua further observed that Ammar needs support to compete at the international level due to the cost of training, travelling and participating in such events. “An athlete cannot flourish without support and sponsorship from like-minded corporate bodies,” he said.
The 15-year-old Ammar, a Grade X student at the North American International School in Dubai, has consistently won medals at a number of taekwondo events in the UAE in addition to representing Pakistan at international events held in Tashkent, Paris and Fujairah during the course of 2017. He also won a silver at the UAE-Korea Open Taekwondo Championship held in October.
The Youth Olympic qualification event will be held in Hammamet, Tunisia on April 6-7, while the Junior World Cup will be held at the same venue on April 9 to 13.
Ammar has been preparing for the upcoming events with training at least four to five days a week at the Sharjah Sports Club. “I will be trying my best to compete to the best of my potential to bring honour to my family, friends and the community in the UAE in addition to my country,” said Ammar.
