PESHAWAR – Pakistan is celebrating a proud moment as Ayesha Ayaz, a nine-year-old taekwondo prodigy from Swat Valley, clinched the country’s first-ever gold medal at the 8th Fujairah Open Taekwondo Championship in the UAE, held from Jan 31 to Feb 2.
A Grade 4 student, Ayesha stunned top international fighters in the 34-kg category, securing gold in only her second international outing. Last year, in her debut, she bagged a bronze in the 27-kg category at the same event.
Her father and coach, Ayaz Nayak, proudly declared, “This is your medal, this is Pakistan’s medal. Now, my daughter is aiming for the Olympics.”
Taekwondo runs in her blood — both her brothers are national champions, while her mother has won gold and silver at the national level. Nayak himself runs a taekwondo academy and a school in Swat offering free education to orphans.
Training since the age of three, Ayesha’s win has sparked celebrations across Swat, where locals are preparing a hero’s welcome. For her family, the dream is bigger: to see her become the first Pakistani girl to win Olympic gold.
