Srinagar: The number one ranked 62-kilogram category Taekwondo player in India Afreen Hyder of J&K continues to shine at the National and International levels.
The talented Taekwondo martial art athlete backed by PunitBalan Group has been continuously taking part in National and International level events. She has been bagging medals continuously and maintaining her number one rank in India in the 62-kilogram category.
Afreen recently bagged the bronze medal for India in the G2 level ranking tournament held in Ramla, Israel from August 11 to 13. Afreen may be the only one from Kashmir to have bagged a medal in such an event.
She has also been competing in the Champion of Champions competition being held in India.
The competition is being held in six different States and the finalists would be competing in the finals scheduled to be held in September at Nashik.
In this event held in Hyderabad from August 18 to 21, Afreen bagged a gold medal and qualified for the finals.
“I am all India ranked number one in the Under-62 kilogram category. To maintain that I have to regularly keep participating in the events and to make it higher I have to get better training. For that reason I have joined Peace Taekwondo Academy Gurgaon Haryana under coach Syed Hassan Razey of Afghanistan who is a former World Champion,” Afreen said.
Unlike other open competitions, GT-level events are conducted by WTA, and athletes’ rank depends on their performance during these events.
Afreen also recently participated in three back to back events in Iran from March 5 to 14. She participated in Asian Club Championship held on March 5 and 6 followed by the Fajr Open from March 7 to 10. The third event was the World Presidents Cup held from March 11 to 14.
“I reached the quarterfinals of both the FAJR cup and Asian Club Championship. It was a near miss for me to secure a medal in such elite competition. As Taekwondo is an Olympic discipline, the competition is always tough and one has to be at her best to win anything,” she said.
Previously Afreen has participated in International competitions held in Saudi Arabia, India, Iran, and Nepal.
” I have bagged a medal in the G1 International Taekwondo championship held in Hyderabad in which 19 Countries participated. I have also bagged a bronze medal in the first Women’s International Taekwondo championship held in Nepal. I have also previously participated in the G-1 Fajr Open and G-1 Asian Open Taekwondo Championship held in Iran. In 2021 I participated in the G-4 Women Open World Championship held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” Afreen said.
Apart from International competitions, Afreen has bagged numerous medals and awards at the National and local levels. She has been bagging medals in National competitions, National School Games, and State And District championships since 2013.