Abdul Haseeb Idrees, 17, has made his family and community proud by winning a kickboxing bout organised by Qatar Mixed Martial Arts (QMMA).
"This being my first fight was amazing. At the outset, I would like to thank Almighty Allah for granting me the strength to win the honour. Although I was at a slight disadvantage with a weight of 3-4 kg against my opponent, I won in the first round. I was driven by my coach Jovit, the unflinching support of my father and friends and the numerous hours of physical and mental training,” remarked Haseeb.
"We are beaming with pride. It’s a great honour for our family that my son won a title at a young age. His hard work and perseverance paid off. I’m very happy that he is engaged in healthy activities. I wish him good luck with his future bouts,” said Haseeb’s father Muhammad Idrees.
Haseeb, who is studying at Doha British School, particularly thanked Prof Mohammed Doty who established QMMA, a state-of-the-art facility offering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA for children and adults of all levels, with two locations in Doha.
Doty achieved his BJJ Black Belt all the while winning multiple championships around the world and raising his own family. His wife is the first nikabi (fully veiled) BJJ Black Belt in the world, challenging all kinds of misconceptions and becoming an inspiration to so many women. His son is one of the youngest black belts in the world and has the desire to become one of the best Jiu Jitsu athletes internationally.