Eight-year-old becomes youngest British-Pakistani to win big at World Martial Arts Championship

MANCHESTER: An eight-year-old won big at the World Martial Arts Championship, becoming the youngest British-Pakistani to bag all three — gold, silver, and bronze — medals at the age of just eight.

Muhammed Abubakr Farooq created history by winning a gold medal in weapons (Nunchaku), silver in fighting (Kumite), and bronze in self-defence. He has previously won competitions in the Dojo Karate squad, which made him eligible for the national qualifiers in seven- to 10-year-old age category, winning silver.

Speaking to Geo News here in the UK after showing his skills at the World Martial Arts Championship — held at London's Egham Orbit sport centre, the little fighter said: "All my success is due to my parents and my trainer at the club; they have supported me all the way through.

"It's been two years here at the club and I have worked really hard,” Farooq said. "It wouldn’t have been possible without them."

The eight-year-old added that he felt proud of himself "because martial arts has given me so much confidence and it’s something I know that I’m really good at".

"My parents and trainer say I have the ‘fire power’ to compete any opponent anywhere and it certainly has boosted my confidence. If I am given the chance, I would love to represent both teams GB and Pakistan”.

”Martial arts enables children to develop self-confidence, self-discipline,, and self-respect, as well as respect for others; therefore, we started taking him to martial arts club at the age of six," Farooq's father said, after seeing him compete in the event attended by participants from over 20 countries.

The eight-year-old's family hails from Chakwal, a small town on the outskirts of Rawalpindi. His father went on to say: "Asian parents tend to focus on education more often.

"We should focus on our children's education but sports is where our Asian community is not very supportive to their children. As a parent, if we support they can become role model in society.

”At the age of just eight, he is an inspiration for so many kids who were busy playing computer games but after Abubakr's success in martial arts, so many young kids have joined martial arts clubs. It's an honour for us as a parent that our son became the youngest British-Pakistani to win three medals at the championship,” his father added.