BRADFORD’S Mohammed Zayan was awarded his first degree blackbelt after 11 years of training in the fascinating Martial Art of Taekwondo last weekend.

Zayan who currently trains at the Manningham Sports Centre every Friday evening and Sunday morning was the first student after the Covid-19 pandemic to achieve his black belt.

What makes this an extra special achievement is that so many students had given up on their dreams once Covid-19 put a halt on sport, which saw Manningham Sports Centre closing its doors for several months.

Zayan, a former pupil at Carlton Bolling College who has just finished his GCSE exams, two weeks before his blackbelt grading said it had been a challenging period with his GCSE exams and blackbelt grading.

However, it was martial arts that had helped him manage the stress and pressure of completing his GCSE exams, as it helped to balance the mental stress of the exams alongside the physical aspects of training, which kept him in check throughout this testing period.

Zayan was also awarded the Blackbelt Warrior Award at his blackbelt ceremony held at the Manningham Sports Centre for his dedication and commitment to the sport of Taekwondo.

This would hopefully inspire and encourage other students to persevere and follow in Zayan’s footsteps; to never give up whatever life throws at you whilst proving that nothing is ever achieved without hard work and continuous effort.

Speaking of his recent achievements, Zayan said: “I have put a lot of my energy and time into Taekwondo training and am hoping to continue.

“I have seen many students quit training after getting their blackbelts but I want to progress and develop new skills. I have set some goals and am hoping to pass on the skills I have learnt to the new kids coming along to learn Taekwondo”.

Zayan is awaiting like thousands of others across the country for his GCSE results day, Thursday 22 August 2024 and his hoping to study A-levels at New College Bradford.

Mohammed Wahed, Zayan’s Coach and National Taekwondo Champion, said: “I am extremely proud of Zayan.

“During the blackbelt grading he showed good discipline and focus, the power of his techniques while performing his Patterns (a series of fixed movements of kicks, punches, blocks and strikes against an opponent) were very impressive.

“He showed great skill in his sparring and board breaking techniques. I think he can go on achieve many great things in Taekwondo and the biggest being a positive role model for the younger students training at the Academy.

“I would also like to thank the National Lottery Community Fund who helped support the rebuilding of the academy at Manningham Sports Centre.”