Issa wins gold as fifth edition of Arab Taekwondo Cup ends on successful note

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The fifth edition of the Arab Taekwondo Cup concluded on Friday at the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah.

The event was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.

More than 1,500 male and female athletes participated in the championship, which was hosted by the Fujairah Martial Arts Club under the supervision of the Arab Taekwondo Federation and in cooperation with the UAE Taekwondo Federation.

UAE national team player and Fujairah Martial Arts Club member, Mazoon Issa, won the first gold medal for the UAE in the under-33kg weight category.

The silver medal went to Egyptian player Malika Abdel Aziz from Al-Giza Club, while the bronze medals were awarded to Bana Al-Qaisi of Jordan and Lamar Al-Ruwaili of Saudi Arabia.

In the under-37kg weight category, Yumna Yasser from Al Sharjah Club claimed the gold medal, while the silver went to Jordan’s Alma Al Omari from Al Quwa Club.

The bronze medals were awarded to Alaa Matarji from Fujairah Martial Arts Club and Maria Al Ansari from Al-Ittihad Club.

The organizing committee for both the fifth Arab Taekwondo Cup used the latest refereeing technologies and point-scoring systems.

Nader Abu Shawish, Director of Fujairah Martial Arts Club, explained that this advancement resulted from collaboration with a company specialising for manufacturing chest and head protectors with sensors.

He said, "This collaboration is the first of its kind in the Arab world, using the modern protectors in the G2-rated Fujairah International Championship."

Shawish added, "This cooperation will increase excitement through the new method of point recording and scoring, which is the latest technology globally. It was first tried at the recent Paris Olympics. Through this partnership, players and coaches will get to experience this technology up close, marking a new step forward for Fujairah’s Taekwondo Championship."

The 12th Fujairah International Championship will kick off on Sunday, running until February 13, featuring the largest participation ever, with 2,629 male and female athletes from all over the world.