A man from Bradford recently earned a gold medal at the Taekwondo European Championships.

ITFU (the official governing body for Taekwondo in England) hosted the event on Friday 25 October in Hatfield, at the prestigious Hertfordshire Sports Village.

The competition was a three-day international event inviting fighters from all over the world to come together and compete at the highest level of Taekwondo.

Mohammad Zamoord, Bradford, representing Beanland Taekwondo entered the mens’ blackbelt 36-55 years, 80-85kg weight division and claimed a gold after overcoming his opponent in a thrilling sparring contest.

Zamoord never imagined he would still be competing at such a high level and entered the competition as a wildcard in order to challenge himself once more.

Speaking following the achievement, Zamoord said: “The tournament was an amazing experience.

“I had competed all over the country and had many titles with my biggest achievement being the British Championships many years ago.

“I had kept myself in good shape and that’s what allowed me to compete at that level last weekend.

“The hardest part as every elite athlete would tell you is peaking at the right time for the competition. It’s important to stay fit and healthy and the rest is a blessing from upstairs.

“I had trained with some of the best Taekwondo fighters in the world, who had competed for European and World titles week in and week out, so I knew the high standards of the commitment and dedication required to become an International Taekwondo Champion.”

Recalling some of his more vivid memories from his time within the sport, Zamoord added: “I remember my mum reminding me of my first ever competition win whilst I was at nursery competing on sports day, winning a race I vaguely remember on all fours.

“In correlation, I remember in my final bout in the European Championship final. It was it was a 2x2 minute round final and at the end of the first round, we had a minute’s rest going back to our coaches corner. I was so exhausted I could barely sip any water into my body and remember saying to myself that ‘you’re going to have to dig deep’ and ‘do you want it?’.

“Your mind starts playing tricks and I think this is where the championships mentality comes in when the going gets tough the tough gets going; it’s a thin line between winning and losing and crossing the finish line.

“I had run hundreds of miles in preparation, I had done hundreds of taekwondo sessions and had done hundreds of hours in the gym.”

Reflecting on the European Championships in October, Zamoord said: “This was my toughest challenge to date. Making the weight wasn’t easy as I had to go on a serious diet to make the weight.

“As they say, a competition is just the final destination of a long journey, so I was extremely happy to win the European Championship title. It was a goal which I had only dreamed of, and I can tell my kids about my experience.

“I will never forget it, from the opening ceremony with the England team to seeing all the different nations gathered together for their national anthems. It brought back memories to my early days; the major difference now being that I could enjoy the experience, but in my younger days it was just about winning.

"I would like to thank Master Chris Beanland 8th Dan for this opportunity and the Beanland Taekwondo Academy students who helped me prepare both mentally and physically. And, my conditioning and training partner Mohammed Wahed who has been with me since the beginning of my training career keeping me focused and on track.

“I am now looking forward to the World Taekwondo Championships in 2026 to be held in Argentina Buenos Aires.”