Jahanara Hassan, a talented nine-and-a-half-year-old girl from Lahore currently residing in London, stole the spotlight at the Grand Canaria, Spain Judo Cup.
Competing against elite judo clubs from Spain, Portugal, and the UK, she delivered a stellar performance by winning two gold medals — one in her weight category and another in a higher class.
Jahanara, with Mikes Judo Club and her coach Sensei Kelly, made headlines with a thrilling win over one of Spain’s national champions using her signature move “Boom”, named in honour of her sporting idol, Shahid Afridi.
She was the only athlete at the event to receive two gold medals, making her achievement all the more remarkable.
The tournament was part of the 4th Judo Club AKARI Stage, held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from July 17 to 20. It was organised in collaboration with the Canary Islands Judo Federation, the DA, and the Municipal Sports Institute of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council.
The medals were awarded by none other than Hidayat Heydarov — a Judo World Champion, four-time European Champion, and Olympic gold medallist — who congratulated the young prodigy during the ceremony.
“She became good through a lot of hard work, discipline, consistent training, and her love for martial arts,” her father, Hamza Hassan, told Geo.tv, adding that she hopes to go professional when she grows up.
“Her inspiration is her parents. She gets her strength from her father and her dedication from her mother, Zahra Shah.”
Jahanara now aspires to represent Pakistan at the World Olympics and hopes her success will inspire young girls across the world to pursue sports and realise their full potential.
