GOLD FOR AL-SHARBATI AT PRESIDENT’S CUP

Jordan’s golden Taekwondo run in 2019 has continued after Saleh Al Sharbati clinched the -80kg crown at the World Taekwondo President’s Cup (Asian region) held on the Iranian island of Kish.

The national team fighter has been in exceptional form this year, and followed up his gold last week in Egypt with more superb performances to take another to further boost his Olympic ranking.

Al Sharbati launched his campaign by defeating Uzbekistan’s Shakhar Salif, 9-8, before facing Iran's Mohammadi Nazimi in the semi-final and beating him 13-8. In the final, he beat another Iranian, Mehran Barjordari, 4-2.

Hamza Qattan is another fighter in form, and he won bronze in the +87kg heavyweight division. After qualifying through to the semi-final by beating Uzbek, Rajukov, 8-4, he lost to Iran’s Saeed Rajabi, 9-5, for the bronze. He was also successful in Egypt last week, winning a silver medal.

Their medals join an earlier gold won by Anas Al-Sadiq in the -87kg weight to ensure Jordan finished with two gold and a bronze, enough to land the runner-up overall to Iran, with Korea in third.

Other fighters did well but failed to trouble the medal places. Zaid Mustafa and Zaid Al Halawani both reached the quarter-finals, with Mustafa beating India’s Thapa, 29-8, and then Iran’s Hussein Talibor, with a golden point, before losing the bronze medal match to Russian Georgi Gortsev, 17-7.

Al Halawani opened his account with a 4-2 win over Afghan, Mohsen Razi, and then beat another Afghan, Azad, 25-16, before succumbing to Mohammed Sadiq, 12-5, in the last eight.

On Saturday, the youth and junior competitions will take place with 21 Jordanian fighters looking to gain vital experience as they build towards the Asian Junior Championships taking place in Jordan in July.