ISLAMABAD: Ayesha Ayaz, a 12-year-old taekwondo athlete from Pakistan, astonished the world by winning three medals at the prestigious International Taekwondo Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Competing in the Under-12 category, Ayesha showcased exceptional skills, capturing the attention of the audience and securing one silver and two bronze medals in the 42kg class. The championship drew the participation of over 2,200 athletes from 40 countries.
Hailing from Swat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ayesha has already made a name for herself in the sport. Earlier this year, she clinched a gold medal at the Al-Fujria International event in Dubai, further adding to her impressive tally of seven international medals. Ayesha was the sole representative from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to participate in the Thailand championship.
Pakistan Taekwondo Team for Asian Games
Meanwhile, the announcement of a fourteen-member Pakistan taekwondo team was made yesterday, which will represent the country at the 19th Asian Games scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 23. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) will sponsor ten athletes and officials, with the Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) covering the expenses of the remaining four members. Notably, two officials, Lt Col (retd) Raja Wasim Ahmad (President PTF) and Omar Saeed (CEO TF), will self-sponsor their trips.
The PSB will sponsor athletes and officials including Yousef Karami (coach from Iran), Saba Shamim (team head), Seongoh Choi (Korea coach), and Najia Rasool (female coach). Athletes Haroon Khan, Mohammad Arbaz Khan, Hamza Omar Saeed, Naqash Hamdani, Naila, and Aqdasullah Qadeer will also be sponsored by the PSB.
With six officials and eight athletes forming the fourteen-member squad, Pakistan aims to make an impact at the Asian Games taekwondo event. Although the country has never won a medal at the Asian Games level, the substantial support provided by the Ministry and PSB through financial assistance and training camps is expected to enhance the team’s chances of success. The 19th Asian Games Taekwondo event, held at the Lin’an Gymnasium in Lin’an District, will witness 13 gold medals up for grabs.
