JEDDAH, 2 March 2007 — Thamer Al-Malki and Emad Al-Malki both have come a long way since their father brought them to Al-Hilal club for karate lessons. The father decided karate might be a good outlet for his sons to use their boundless energies.
Seven years on, the famous karate kids of Saudi Arabia have filled their rooms with trophies and medals they won in competitions in the country and abroad.
Big brother Thamer, born on April 20, 1987, won a bronze medal in last December’s Asian Games in Doha in a performance that validated his ranking as one of the rising karatekas in the region. Kid brother Emad could have also won an Asiad medal had not organizers ruled him ineligible to participate. He trained and joined the team in Doha only to be told he was not yet 18 and thus underage for the competition. A national champion like Thamer Emad, though still young, is a veteran campaigner having had stints in international competitions including the World Youth Cup karate tournament.
At Al-Hilal club where the Al-Malki brothers enrolled for karate sessions in 2000 Algerian instructor Zubair Hashi was the one responsible for their growth as champions in the sport.
The karate thing was just a provisional idea, “because I wanted judo,” said Thamer. “Thank God Hilal club did not have it and I did not take up judo because it requires bigger bodies and I enjoy being like this and playing at this weight,” added Thamer who became national champion in the 55kg class two years after he got into karate.
In the same period of time Thamer has earned the respect from his peers. All the while he was competing in the Central Province Championship and the Kingdom Karate leagues, and it didn’t take long for Thamer to be named to the national team.
Thamer is in his second year of Computer Engineering studies at King Saud University in Riyadh where he lives. He said “because we give education a priority we sometimes have to make a sacrifice in our training.”
Especially Emad he is in his last year at high school and it is hard for him to miss a class, according to Thamer.
At the Asian Games the brothers only got to train for a week in Iran before the games kicked off.
For Thamer the Doha Games was the most challenging competition as he faced a tough match and lost 5-1 at the first Kumite, which literally means “meeting of hands,” -55kg quarterfinal against Chinese Taipei Cheng Kang Hsieh. That defeat, however, ignited the fire in his belly as he won three matches in a row against Uzbekistan’s Ihtiyor Sharapov 3-1, Vimukthi Chamara Gunarathna of Sri Lanka 8-0 and finally 7-0 against Timor Leste’s Jaime Godinho Soares in the 1/8 final match that gave Saudi Arabia the karate bronze medal.
The toughest schools in karate and best champions are from Asia, so if one scores in Asia, “he should be proud of it and I am,” said Tamer.
Thamer and Emad have two older brothers who were also in karate but stopped. Not only did they continue to make achievements for the family but for the country as well. Karate builds a person’s confidence, Thamer said. It changes the body figure, the personality. It enriches the person not only with power but knowledge and culture especially if he is more into the game’s background, Emad added.
It might simply look like fighting for some, but it is an exciting kind of fighting that is based on certain techniques and rules that requires lots of skills, concentration and dedication.
“If you want to succeed you have to put that in your mind as your goal,” emphasized Thamer. Some people tried to discourage me because this game causes injuries and accidents, “but accidents may happen anywhere and anytime. We are used to it and I won’t let that to hold me back from achieving my goal,” said Thamer.
Emad said, “It is enough that playing martial arts makes me stronger, fearless, and able to defend myself.” He was upset at not being able to play at the Asiad due to his age, but being there was an experience itself and he is determined to participate at the next Asian Games in China.
To underscore their dominance in the local leagues Thamer and Emad have won a combined 68 gold medals.
Besides the 32 golds in the Kata and Kumite events Thamer also won 5 silver and 3 bronze medals during the past six years in the -55 kg. He also won 1 gold and 1 silver at the Gulf Cup (youth) in 2004 in Bahrain, and 1 gold, 2 silvers and 1 bronze at the same championship held in 2005 in Qatar. In 2004, he placed third at the Arab Games in Algeria while in 2005 he won 2 silvers at the Arab Championship held in Egypt. In Dubai, at the 2006 World Cup (for first division) he clinched a gold medal and Asiad bronze medal in Qatar in 2006.
Emad, on the other hand, scooped up 36 gold medals in the Saudi league in addition to 5 silvers and 2 bronzes in the -60 kg Kata and Kumite events. In 2004, he won at the -45kg 2 silver medals at the Gulf Cup (youth) held in Bahrain, and 1 bronze in Algeria at the Arab Games.
Then in 2005, he won 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze at the -55kg in Qatar at the Gulf Cup (youth). In the same year he clinched 2 silvers and 1 bronze in Egypt at the Arab Championship. In 2006 during the Middle East Championship held in Oman and Jordan he won 2 silver medals at the -55 kg, while at the Gulf Cup (first division) held in Dubai, Emad delivered 1 gold and 1 bronze at the -60 kg event.
“I was very close to qualifying and next time I would definitely do better,” Emad said of his stint at the 2006 World Cup in Cyprus when he reached the quarterfinals among 70 competitors.
Through their travels and stints at the World Cup, they managed to meet French karate star Alex Diamonche, now retired but whose style of playing they admired. They never missed the chance to speak to and exchange tips with the Frenchman through a translator.
The Al-Malkis had told Arab News in earlier interviews that Saudi Arabia has good players with skills and motivation but they simply need to be supported and encouraged especially the young ones.
The brothers said the media support is crucial if karate is to become a popular sport. Without the media giving them attention like they do with football, the brothers agreed, people will never know about them and the future of karate will not be promising anymore.
“It is not only about education but the lack of financial support that hinders our training camps abroad and participation in many championships which mean a lot to us especially to prove Saudis can do it in Gulf, Arab and open championships,” said Thamer.
The Al-Malkis are making an issue over the fact that other athletes get to train abroad for weeks or months but they only get to go for a week or two. This treatment pissed them off. “A week or two is not enough because we share the dream all the athletes want which is to be world champions so we need to train and work harder,” said Emad.
