Yahoo News 
Ramadan Championship judo winner harbours professional ambition
The final medals were decided as the judo category of the 18th Ramadan Championship at the Armed Forces Officers Club (AFOC) came to a close late on Saturday night.
In the tournament, which opened on Wednesday, over 100 boys aged up to 15 years from across the UAE were seen in action at the AFOC’s Al Maqta Hall in Abu Dhabi.
The competition saw a total of eight weight categories – under-46kg, 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, 81kg and over-81kg.
Competitors were divided into two age groups, under-13 and under-16, with judokas required to progress through the knock-out stages.
Among the winners was Abdullah Nematov, who triumphed in the under-60kg category in the under-14 age group.
The 13-year-old is no stranger to the competition, having taken part in the event for the last four years.
“It feels very good to win this medal in such a prestigious competition in the UAE," said Nematov. “This is one of the biggest Ramadan tournaments in the country and the matches were really tough as the boys were very skilled and strong.”
His father, Mohammed Ruzik, is hoping this achievement will be the start of a bright future for his son.
He said: “I’m really proud of my son today, he did extremely well. He trains three hours a day.
“It would be my dream to see him become a professional.”
Also claiming gold was 14-year-old Seif Mohammad, topping the under-73kg category in the under-16 age group.
Mohammad was pleased with his performance but admitted he had to be on top of his game to win.
“It was a very difficult category. The competition was hard and I needed to be at my best to win. So I am happy to have won the gold medal,” said Mohammad.
For Taariq Mennad, despite missing out on gold in the under-38kg category, he was nevertheless happy to have come away with the silver medal.
The 11-year-old said: “It’s a great feeling to have won the silver medal. I was aiming for gold but it’s not easy to achieve.
“But this medal will give me the confidence to do well in other judo tournaments, and hopefully I can win the gold next year.”
The championship, which is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nayhan, deputy prime minister and minister of presidential affairs of the UAE, also features football, taekwondo, bowling and shooting.
The next category finals are boxing, which concludes on Tuesday, 8th July.
