‘Every time I stood on the mat, it inspired me’: UAE teen karate champ talks trials, triumphs

‘Every time I stood on the mat, it inspired me’: UAE teen karate champ talks trials, triumphs

15-year-old Omar Hassan is country's number one fighter in his category, ranks in global top 60

Published: Fri 12 Aug 2022, 5:30 PM

Fifteen-year-old karate champ Omar Hassan ranks in the global top 60 for karate after achieving six medals throughout a season.

The student from GEMS Metropole School – Motor City, Dubai has won two gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

He has also just completed an incredible year of achievements, finishing at first place for his age range in the under 68kg category of the UAE National Karate Championship 2022.

Essential to Hassan's success, the teenager explains he received unparalleled support from his school, which offers young athletes a rich sports programme, good facilities, including a gym and CrossFit area and flexibility to enable students to compete in top-level competition.

He says, "Participating in any championship requires loads of preparation every day to be able to achieve the best results. I am so pleased that I had the opportunity to take part. As a result of my hard work, I was able to take first place – the gold medal in my age group, ranking me as the number one fighter in the UAE in my age category. I am grateful for this