Yusuf Wali, in Year 4 at Doha College, smashed his way to becoming a multiple champion with four gold medals and two silver medals in the fourth Karate Foundation for Children’s Cup 2019 Championship. This is one of the world’s most prestigious and competitive karate tournaments. Hosted in Tbilisi, Georgia, the event attracted 1,300 competitors from Qatar and 20 other countries, with standards exceptionally high.
Yusuf came first in two individual U10 Kata events, first in the U10 team Kata, first in the U10 team Kumite, second in the individual U10 Kumite and second in the U16 individual Kata. However, he was not the only child at Doha College to have shone at the tournament. His classmate Malek Elasskary, also 8, won a well-deserved bronze medal at the event.
Little Yusuf, aged just 8, was already a seasoned competitor with several international tournaments under his belt. He has been training ambitiously for two years with the Karate Lions of Doha, under the watchful eyes of skilled coaches Abdulhadi Shalabi and Abeer Wagdy. Yusuf, who had many stories to share about dramatic moments and twists in his matches, said:
For months before the tournament, I trained for many hours each day, both in karate and fitness. I played 14 matches, including in the U16 category. I thought that I might get bronze and silver medals, but I put a lot of effort and I got gold in the end.’
Doha College prides itself on many sporting achievements and has had students represent Qatar in rugby, excel internationally in golf, while its U11 team recently won silver at the COBIS Games in Thailand. It offers PE and Academic PE at GCSE and A Levels, alongside its BTEC Diploma in sports coaching.
To find out more, visit www.dohacollege.com.
