Afghan athlete Mohammad Bakhtyar Hamza will participate in an important judo competition in Montreal next month.
“The upcoming competition is highly important for me and I have to prove my eligibility for joining Canada’s national judo team,” Hamza told CTVNews.ca.
The martial artist, who holds a black belt in judo, has been part of Afghanistan’s national team. He was forced to flee the country after the Islamic Emirate returned to power in August 2021.
Hamza claimed his father was facing threats for his work with foreigners and was forced to leave Afghanistan.
While he was on vacation in Kabul after spending a year in Kazakhstan to pursue his bachelor’s degree, the caretaker government came to power.
Hamza strived to go back to Kazakhstan but couldn’t find a flight. Eventually, the athlete said, he got out of Afghanistan and made it to a refugee camp in Pakistan after four months.
After staying at the camp for about two months, he moved to Canada along with his father, mother and siblings in February this year.
Unlike most Afghan newcomers, who choose to live in cities in search of jobs, Hamza prioritised his practice and access to a good judo club.
The 20-year-old and his family were first settled in Calgary, but then moved to Toronto. Hamza says he convinced his family to move because he could not find a good club in Calgary.
He now trains at Judo Ontario, a not-for-profit amateur association, to prepare himself for the 2023 Canadian Open National Championships.
“Although it’s very tough for me financially, I try my best to attend and achieve a gold medal. My fight is for gold because it’s the key to my future success,” commented Hamza.
“In the past few months in Canada, I’ve participated in five competitions and got good results,” Hamza said. He contested events in Montreal, Winnipeg and Toronto at his personal expense.
He brought home two gold and as many silver medals in addition to a bronze medal at those competitions.
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