• Karate: Muhammad Al-Jaafari adds new silver

The sixth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games, currently held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, witnessed a new highlight for Jordan with historic achievements in boxing and karate, as Jordanian athletes continued to collect medals at the continental event.

Jordan’s national boxing player, Ziad Ashish, claimed the gold medal in the 70 kg category after a decisive victory in Monday’s final against Kyrgyzstan’s Nurdin Rustembek. Ashish had advanced to the final with a strong performance on Sunday, defeating Azerbaijan’s Sarkhan Aliyev.

This gold medal marks Jordan’s first in the current edition of the Games and the first-ever boxing gold for Jordan in Islamic Solidarity Games history.

On the same day, Jordan added another boxing medal as Hussain Ashish secured bronze in the 80 kg category, affirming the strength of Jordanian boxing.

In karate, international athlete Muhammad Al-Jaafari, ranked first globally in the under-84 kg category, earned the silver medal on Tuesday, adding another achievement to his Games record. Al-Jaafari reached the final after a series of strong wins: defeating Azerbaijan’s Turgut Hasanov in the round of 16, UAE’s Reda Al-Masoudi, and Senegal’s Mokhtar Diop in the quarterfinals. He lost in the final to Kazakhstan’s Nikita Tarnakin, securing the silver medal.

This silver is Al-Jaafari’s second medal in his Islamic Solidarity Games career, following his gold medal at the previous edition held in Konya, Turkey, in 2022.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Hammad (under-60 kg) fell short of the podium after winning two matches against Albania’s Urges Arifi and Benin’s Martial Kpadonou but losing in the quarterfinals to Kuwait’s Abdullah Shaaban. Hammad then competed for bronze but was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Zolaman.

The Jordanian karate team will continue its participation in the Games tomorrow, with athletes Abdelrahman Al-Masatfa (under 67 kg), Joud Al-Drous (under 68 kg), and Yara Nasser (over 68 kg) competing.