Proud moment for Pakistan as Shahzaib Rind becomes World Karate Champion

Pakistan's star athlete Shahzaib Rind has clinched the World Karate Combat Light Heavyweight Championship title in Singapore. 

Shahzaib defeated Brazilian contender Luiz Victor Rocha in the thrilling final, earning Pakistan its first-ever martial arts world championship.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, the Pakistani mixed martial arts fighter took to Instagram to share his triumph with his fans.

"Dream came true, Alhamdulillah," he captioned a photo of himself sleeping with his championship belt.

In another heartfelt post, Shahzaib expressed pride in his historic achievement.

"Alhamdulillah! I am proud to be the first World Champion from Pakistan in Martial Arts. History has been made! It has been a long and challenging journey, but we did it," he wrote. 

Shahzaib also acknowledged the pivotal roles of his support system, saying, "Thank you to everyone who believed in me and supported my path to success — it means the world to me."

The new world champion specifically thanked his coach, Asim Zaidi, who helped him physically, emotionally, and through training. 

"Always try[ing] to improve my skills, you are not just a coach but a brother and mentor, thank you for being my coach, [I'm] honoured to have you as my coach," he said.

The athlete also expressed gratitude to his manager, Laura A Zaidi, who brought him from Pakistan "when nobody knew him and always supported him".

Shahzaib thanked his amazing family, especially his mom, who always prayed for him and made him what he is today.