Gold medalist Eisa Mozhdeh with his partner Stella Bismark.
Gold medalist Eisa Mozhdeh with his partner Stella Bismark.
Eisa Mozhdeh has taken a significant step towards gaining New Zealand Olympic taekwondo team selection.
Mozhdeh, a fifth-dan black belt, won two gold medals at the Taekwondo Union New Zealand nationals in Wellington.
He won his preferred U68kg division, but wanting more fights, entered the U74kg, which he won, too.
Mozhdeh was rapt with the results, especially after the heartache of the Taekwondo nationals in Auckland, in August, where he lost in a semi-final of the U68kg class.
Iranian-born Mozhdeh had modified his style at the Auckland-based nationals to ease the pressure off his right knee.
His knee needed surgery following competition at the Oceania Presidents Cup, in Tahiti, last year.
And it was a challenge for him to get to the division as he followed a slow-burn weight loss regime.
Eisa Mozhdeh won two gold medals at the Taekwondo Union New Zealand nationals in Wellington.
But the loss in Auckland made him analyse his performance, especially with video footage, and he decided to return to the style that had given so much success in the past.
“I’m actually very grateful that I lost that day so that I could look back and learn from the mistakes. It was a huge learning curve.”
Leading up to the nationals in Wellington, his training focused on three specific exercises — punching, clinching and footwork.
Mozhdeh, now back to his old-school style, entered the tournament with renewed vigour and a sense of purpose.
Overall he took part in four fights and won each of them in the second of three rounds with time to spare.
He was thrilled by the double-gold victory and happy 18 members from his Mozhdeh Martial Arts club, in Paraparaumu, took part and did well, too.
Mozhdeh Martial Arts club did well at the Taekwondo Union New Zealand nationals.
Mozhdeh, whose right knee feels better than ever, promised himself a treat if he won both divisions — a Chinese buffet.
“I ate a lot of food.”
The focus now is to continue his personal training, keep his diet under control, represent New Zealand in the U68kg division in the Oceania championships in the Solomon Islands, and attend New Zealand Olympic short-listed division training camps in Auckland, Christchurch and Tauranga.
It’s total commitment towards his goal of gaining Olympic selection, which he has dreamed of from an early age.
“I have chosen this path and I’m giving it everything.”
