Batley’s Aldin triumphs on world karate stage

Batley's Aldin Muftic won a gold medal at the World Karate Championships

The 20-year-old from Mount Pleasant trains out of the Islamic Tarbiyah Academy in Westtown, Dewsbury, under the guidance of coach Kashif Siddique.

Aldin only took up karate seriously six years ago but has made a rapid rise to the top, where he won a silver and bronze medal at last year’s European Championships.

He is a two-times international champion and four times British champion, while he has won host of regional tournaments and has been on the AMA England Elite Karate squad for nearly five years.

Aldin travelled to Poland to compete in his first World Championships, where he met competitors from the host nation along with Russia, Italy, Slovakia and Serbia.

He competed in the 18 to 20 years 70kg to 75kg individual category and joined England teammates Sam Ernst and Alfie Wise for two team events.

Aldin saw off all his competitors in the individual category, only dropping one point along the way, as he was crowned world champion, while he also picked up two silver medals.

In the build up to the championships, Aldin was training six times a week, including fitness work at Dewsbury Sports Centre.

On his world title triumph, Aldin said: “I have won many titles so I had quite a bit of experience at that level.

“I have won the international championships two years running and I also went to Malta where I competed at the Mediterranean Championships where I came out with a silver and a bronze.

“I am also a British Champion and hoping to retain my title next year.

“This was my first World Championships, so I had a lot of nerves and there were some tough opponents trying to stop me but for a young lad from Batley to come away with a gold and two silvers is amazing.

“I would also like to thank Peter Allen, head coach of the AMA England Karate squad, for giving me a chance to represent my country at the World Championships.

“My coach, Kashif Siddique, has been brilliant to get me to the level I am at today.

“I would like to thank the support I have received from friends and family, who have been behind me for such a long time.”