Samer Jahar, the first Eritrean-British in the English National squad, wins six gold medals at Karate championship and gets picked for national team  

Meadna News

Samer Jahar, the first Eritrean-British in the English National squad, won six gold medals at Karate championship in Staffordshire. Thirteen-year-old Samer Jahar won the six gold medals in six different categories including competing in an older age category, facing sportsmen age of sixteen-year-old and over. On Saturday the 4th of April, Samer also won another gold medal that got him picked to play for England.

Samer Jahar who started training for karate at the age of seven has taken part in various high levels national and international competitions, winning gold or silver in most of the competitions. Samer has also been picked to play at the common wealth competition in May.

  
Speaking to Meadna  Samer said “I was inspired by karate at a very young age. I used to watch a lot of Karate films and decided early on that it was what I wanted to do. When I told my dad, he singed me up for the lessons.”

Samer has earned his black belt in karate. Samer has had to make a lot of sacrifice to make it as success in the martial arts requires discipline, self-control and perseverance. Samer said “We train to the standard of world champions. Our training is extremely intense; sometimes we even train in water. With four lessons a week, it takes up a lot of my time and so I wouldn’t still be doing it if I didn’t enjoy it as much as I do.”

Samer is thankful for support he gets from his family and teachers “My mum, dad and sister always encourage me to give it 110% and their support really motivates me. If I ever want to give up my older sister will push me to the maximum. I owe it all to my teacher Essam Sherrif. He was also a world champion in his time. He is the best teacher I have ever had. He is simply the best. Also Erica and Ashraf have been superb so I owe all to them.”

Samer also teaches children karate at his club and also expressed his readiness to teach Eritrean children at Eritrean events such as sports day and festival.

Pictures By Thedros G.