Dubai: Training champions of the future is nothing new to Zeyad Hammad Abu Zahieh.
A 7th Dan Kukkiwon based in Sharjah, Abu Zahieh was an important member of the training team as Shaikha Maitha Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum went on to be the Gulf, Arab and Asian taekwondo champion.
Shaikha Maitha’s journey in Taekwondo is well documented since she picked up her first gold at the GCC Championships in Bahrain in 2003, followed by the two gold medals at the Tenth Pan-Arab Games in Algeria (2004). She bagged the silver medal in her weight category at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and repeated her performance from Algeria at the Pan-Arab Games in Cairo in 2007.
And now with the brotherly combination of Ammar and Sinan Ashfaq Ahmad, Abu Zahieh can feel he has a winning combination yet again. “These boys are all about hard work and dedication to the sport they have chosen,” Abu Zahieh told Gulf News.
“I have been fortunate to see them with me from the first day. And today, after so many years, I can only say that it is their commitment that has brought them so far. I can sense that both these boys are meant for great things in Taekwondo,” he added.
Dad Ashfaq Ahmad too has been a close aide and witness to the progress made by his two sons. “My one advice to parents would be that they allow their children to pursue sports actively as this definitely has an impact on their entire upbringing. I have seen both my boys transform just doing taekwondo, and if it is true in my case then it can be a reality for any other child,” he noted.
“Today, I can see how both have become self-reliant while showing notable improvement in their mental strength and concentration powers. In addition, they pursue other activities such as swimming and football or listening to music or watching movies. But everything is centred around taekwondo. That has given them a truly well-balanced concept of living,” he lauded.
