Gold-medallist inspired by 10-month-old daughter

Judoka Fauzia defeated India’s Aruna in -78kg event

KARACHI: Judoka Fauzia Yasir clinched gold for Pakistan in the South Asian Games on the last day of the event in Shillong, India on Monday and the Rawalpindi-based athlete revealed her inspiration came from her 10-month-old daughter, Maryam.

“The fight was very intense and drained me out both mentally and physically, but I just wanted to win a gold medal for Pakistan,” said Fauzia. “At one point when I was losing the bout in my head, I heard the screams of my manager [Masood Ahmed] who was telling me to win it for my daughter and that just gave me all the strength I needed.”

Fauzia defeated India’s Aruna by picking 210 points in the final of the -78kg judo event.



“I had Maryam with me during the training sessions as well and this [gold medal] is for her,” she added. “My family was streaming the final, so it gave me the confidence to give my best. I’m glad I contributed to Pakistan’s medal tally.”

Ahmed, who is also the secretary of the Pakistan Judo Federation, said that despite Fauzia having a relatively less-refined technique than her teammate Humaira Ashiq, who claimed silver in the -48kg event, Fauzia went all the way only because of her desire to win.



“Fauzia’s win was a surprise for everyone,” said Ahmed. “She wasn’t a favourite to win, but she did. I was just screaming at her, calling out her daughter’s name during the competition. I told her that she needs to do it for Maryam and it worked. She delivered a stellar performance which made all of us proud.”