Pakistan emerged victorious in the 33rd Fajr Open Taekwondo Championship held in Tehran, Iran. Hamza Saeed, representing Pakistan, secured the gold medal in the +87 kg category by defeating Iran’s Mohammad Ibrahim Hosseini with impressive scores of 9-1 and 14-3 in the final match. Prior to this, Hamza Saeed triumphed over Iran’s Amir Mohammad in the semi-final and Iran’s Parham Khowari in the quarter-final. Meanwhile, in the -54 kg category final, Pakistan’s Shahzeb Khan faced defeat against an Iranian player, earning him the silver medal. Hamza Saeed expressed his gratitude for the honor of winning the gold medal for Pakistan and being recognized as the championship’s best player. He acknowledged the participation of renowned athletes from around the world and credited their head coach, Yusuf Karami, for providing excellent training to all the athletes. Shahzeb Khan, the silver medalist, expressed his disappointment for not securing the gold medal but vowed to work harder in the future to bring more honors to Pakistan. In the overall standings, Iran claimed the first position, Pakistan secured second place, and Kazakhstan attained third place. Hamza Saeed was rightfully awarded the title of the best player in the Fajr Open. The Pakistani team will continue their participation in the upcoming World Taekwondo President’s Asia Cup from February 16 to 19 in Tehran, followed by the Asian Club Taekwondo Championship from February 21 to 22.
