Around 100 athletes competed in the category, with the results giving the club another strong showing on the international circuit early in the 2026–2027 season.

Three athletes reach the podium

Afra Yousuf Al Baloushi took gold in the under-29kg category, while Muzna Shuaib Al Hammadi won bronze in the under-37kg division. Majda Rashid Al Ketbi also claimed bronze, in the under-51kg category.

Maria Badr, Saleha Saad and Reem Yousuf also competed for the club, gaining further experience against international opposition.

The medals came in three different weight categories, giving the coaching team the opportunity to assess a wider group of junior athletes in competition rather than relying on results from a single weight division.

Introduce athletes to international competition

The Albania Open formed part of the club’s programme to gradually introduce younger athletes to international competition and give them the chance to test the skills and tactics developed in training.

Mai Al Ameri, Deputy Director of Sharjah Women’s Sports Club, said the value of the tournament went beyond the three medals.

“Albania was an important stage for us, not only because of the three medals, but because it placed our athletes in strong competition at a G-1 tournament with wide participation in the Junior category. Competitions such as this give us a genuine measure of an athlete’s technical level and their ability to apply what we work on in training against different opponents and styles and under the pressure of competition.”

She said the longer-term aim was to build a larger group of athletes capable of competing internationally.

“The gold and two bronze medals are important results, but our longer-term aim is to broaden the pool of athletes capable of competing internationally, so that success is not linked to one athlete or one weight category. Having three athletes on the podium in three different weight categories is a positive indication of the progress being made in the group and helps us identify the technical details that need to be developed in the next stage.

“Every competition is part of an ongoing preparation process, with the aim of moving the athletes forward step by step towards higher levels of competition.”

10 medals from three events

The Albania Open was the third international taekwondo event for Sharjah Women’s Sports Club since the start of the 2026–2027 season.

The team began its international campaign at the Al Hassan International Taekwondo Championship in Jordan, where it won three medals — one silver and two bronze. At the Swiss Open Taekwondo Championship, the athletes added four more medals, including two golds, as well as the runner-up trophy in the Cadets category.

The three medals in Albania take the club’s taekwondo haul to 10 from the first three international events of the season.

For the junior athletes, the competitions are providing regular opportunities to test their progress against international opponents, gain experience and work towards higher levels of competition