Amman, Sept. 23 (Petra) -- Karate champion Mohammad Al-Jafari has set his sights on maintaining the world No. 1 ranking and winning more international titles after claiming gold in the men's under-84kg competition at the Nagoya Asian Games.
The victory marked the culmination of a four-year journey for Al-Jafari, who won bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games before returning to the continental competition determined to reach the top of the podium.
Al-Jafari told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that winning Asian Games gold had been a goal since his Hangzhou appearance, describing the intervening years as a sustained period of training and preparation.
He said the Nagoya title represents another step in his career rather than its ultimate goal, with his focus now turning to maintaining his position at the top of the world rankings and securing further gold medals for Jordan.
"Reaching the top requires continuing to work and train and being ready for the competitions ahead," he said.
Al-Jafari said preparations for the Nagoya Games involved an intensive training program, given the stature of the Asian Games and the level of competition involved.
He noted that the Asian Games are the world's second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games and attract extensive regional and international media attention.
Al-Jafari entered the competition aiming to become the first Jordanian male karate athlete to win an Asian Games medal. Jordan's first Asian Games karate gold was secured by Manar Shaaban at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
His path to gold in Nagoya began with a 4-1 quarterfinal victory over Chinese Taipei's Chung Ming-Yu.
Al-Jafari then delivered an 8-0 win over India's Chetan Bhat in the semifinals to advance to the title bout.
In the final, he defeated Iran's Ali Asghar Asiabari 9-1 to secure the under-84kg gold medal, completing his progression from the bronze medal he won four years earlier in Hangzhou to the Asian Games title.
With the continental gold secured, Al-Jafari said his ambitions now extend to preserving his place at the top of the world rankings and continuing to deliver international medals for Jordan.
//Petra// RZ
