Pakistan’s young grappler Hassan Ali added another proud moment to the country’s campaign at the Asian Youth Games in Sama Bay, Bahrain, securing a medal in the beach wrestling category on Thursday.
Under the mentorship of wrestling legend and multiple-time beach wrestling champion Mohammad Inam Butt, the 17-year-old Hassan delivered a strong performance throughout the competition, bouncing back from a semi-final defeat to Iran’s Sina Shokouhi to win the bronze medal.
Hassan dominated Tajikistan’s Idris Bakhromov 2-0 to seal his place on the podium, displaying grit, discipline, and the technical maturity of a seasoned athlete. Earlier, he had edged past Jordan’s Marafi Abdul Rahman and another Tajik opponent, Bazaarzada, to reach the semi-final, before narrowly losing to Sina Shokouhi, who went on to win the competition.
While Hassan’s triumph added to Pakistan’s growing medal tally, Abdul Rehman narrowly missed out on another medal for the country, losing 2-0 to Jordan’s Zaid Naghouj in the 65kg bronze medal match.
With Hassan Ali’s bronze, Pakistan’s total medal count at the Asian Youth Games has now risen to three, including a silver in volleyball and a bronze in kabaddi.
The success of these young athletes has reignited optimism about the country’s sporting future, as Pakistan’s youth continue to make their presence felt on the Asian stage despite limited resources.