Zara seals double world titles in 24-hour whirlwind

PETALING JAYA: Two world titles in 24 hours, won at two different venues – from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi.

Young Malaysian ju-jitsu exponent Zara Aaliya Azlan is fast proving she is a star in the making.

Zara, the daughter of former national squash player Azlan Iskandar, turns just 12 next month but has already made a stunning mark on the world stage in the Brazilian martial art.

My pride and joy: Young ju-jitsu exponent Zara Aaliya Azlan posing with her gold medals.

She captured the Under-14 World Championships crown in the Under-57 kg open belt category in Bangkok on Nov 15 before flying to Abu Dhabi that very night to clinch the World Youth Championship title in the same weight class on Nov 16 morning.

Malaysian Ju-jitsu Federation president Lim Fang Han hailed Zara as the country’s most promising young exponent and believes she has a bright future.

“Her latest achievement at the World Youth Championships in Abu Dhabi was remarkable, especially considering that just 24 hours earlier she had won the Under-14 world title in Bangkok,” said Fang Han.

“Zara is undoubtedly our best young ju-jitsu exponent.

“She started training seriously in this discipline about three years ago and her journey in the sport so far has been phenomenal.

“She won her first World Youth title last year and we brought her into the national youth team.’’

Among her other accolades include gold medals in the World Championships in the yellow belt category in Japan, two golds in the Under-52 kg in the Perth Open and two golds in Under-44 kg in the South East Asian Tour in Bangkok and Singapore Open respectively.

Fang Han said Zara’s work ethic made her stand out and she has the potential to win medals in both the SEA Games and Asian Games in the future. “To be honest, the sky is the limit for Zara. Beyond skill and talent, her work ethic is remarkable,” said Fang Han.

“She is only 12 and she is disciplined and trains three times a day to achieve her goals. I am very confident that she has the potential to win medals in the SEA Games and Asian Games in the future.”