Dubai: The Sharjah Self-Defence (SSD) Sports Club has announced the launch of a specialised training programme for taekwondo at its premises in the near future.
Tariq Juma Al Suwaidi, Member of the Board of Directors and Taekwondo Supervisor at the SSD, asserted that the new training programme comes under the vision of the club that deals with all self defence sports.
“We need to have the next cadre in self defence ready to take the challenges further,” Al Suwaidi said during the third and penultimate webinar organised by SSD Sports Club late on Tuesday.
“We have seen the popularity of various self defence disciplines over the past few years. At our club, we have the full support and cooperation of all entities and this acts as a further encouragement for us. There are a few accredited training centres in the UAE and the establishment of a specialised training programme to suit our needs will only help us take our sport further,” he added.
Led by Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al Owais, the SSD Sports Club has been hosting a webinar series under the ‘Sharjah International Forum for Martial Arts’ with the cooperation of the Sharjah Sports Council. Participating in the webinar were Fatima Al Zahra Abu Yousuf of Morocco, Saif Eisa of Egypt and Shaima Toumi from Tunisia while international coach Badr Al Din Al Madghari of Estonia was the moderator.
We have seen the popularity of various self defence disciplines over the past few years. At our club, we have the full support and cooperation of all entities and this acts as a further encouragement for us
Moroccan Abu Yousuf acknowledged the role played by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Award for Sports Excellence in her career as one of the top taekwondo athletes coming from the region. “Thanks to this award, I wouldn’t have to worry about the basics while giving off my best in the sport of my choice,” she noted.
Tunisia’s Toumi, who has already qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, asserted that every athlete should focus on all-round development that includes sports and academics as the core basics. “As athletes, we need to distinguish ourselves with our finesse and conduct whenever we represent our country,” she noted.
“I am doing my degree in Sports Sciences and I am equally eager to win many medals for Tunisia. I think I have the adequate drive and passion to achieve both and stand out as an example, not just for my country but for everyone to follow. At one time I was an amateur athlete, but now I know I have to take my sport as an equally serious factor in my life,” she added.
Coach Al Madghari, who has overseen many an athlete scale the pinnacle of taekwondo in the region, asserted that there were no shortcuts to achieving success, except hard work. “In the first place, the athlete needs to understand that his or her basic support lies in his or her family. Next in the ladder comes the people from the club, the coaches and administrative personnel. Everyone is there as one team to push the athlete towards success,” he remarked.
“And then comes the personal contribution and passion of the athlete himself. He has to be dedicated to his sport and also ensure he brings in aspects of proper nutrition and a scientific bent while putting in the long hours in training,” Al Madghari added.
Morocco’s Jawad Al Ashab, who now represents Belgium, said he was blessed for having his family’ total support, and yet he had to struggle to adapt in a new country. “I wanted to be a champion,” he said.
“So besides the taekwondo training I also had to tackle the other aspects in a foreign country. If you have the passion for something, then nothing can come between you and glory,” Al Ashab added.
