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Karate kid kicks off his disabilities to become world champion

Dubai - Salem went through 86 blood transfusions and was given a bunch of negative predictions by doctors.

Eighteen-year-old Salem Muheiri, who has cerebral palsy and mental impairment, was just 9 years old when he was first introduced to karate by his dad, but quit it after the latter passed away suddenly a few years ago.
Another 9 years down the line, Salem his lived up to his dad's dream and made his mother and his country proud by competing and winning at the recently held World Karate Championship in Linz, Austria. There are different pools in the championship and Salem stood 9th in the World Championship and 18th out of a total of 40+ competitors.
Salem and the two other Emirati members from the Dubai Club for the Disabled, were the first Emiratis with mental impairment to compete in a karate world championship. What makes it even more extraordinary is that he has been training only the last 6 months, after leaving the martial art nine years ago.
Salem's mother recalls his early days. "He was born a premature baby and weighed only 780gms. I used to walk into a grocery store to buy chicken but couldn't buy it when I saw that even the frozen chicken I picked up was 800gms and my son weighed less than that," said his mother Maryna, who is a South African, while Salem's late father was Emirati.
"The day he was born and I saw them place him in an incubator, I looked at him and prayed to God: 'If you make Salem live, I make you a promise. I will do the best I can for him. Just let him live. Give him to me," remembers Maryna.
The baby survived, and was named Salem - meaning "protection from God always" - by his parents.
Fight for survival
Salem went through 86 blood transfusions and was given a bunch of negative predictions by doctors. "Some said he would not be able to walk, others said he won't speak, or be able to do anything. But I never lost hope and became the support that he needed. I have never made him felt he was not normal; I encouraged and told him that I believe in him. My son proved it by winning at this competition that he has the heart of a lion," a proud Maryna says.
Salem has been a student at the Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities for almost a decade now, which laid the base for his performance.
Maryna also enrolled him at the Dubai Club for the Disabled. In the beginning of 2016, karate was re-introduced there and Salem started his training in karate with coach Patrick Falay, a black belt karateka, practicing and teaching the martial art for over 40 years.
"Execution of movement, dynamic power and fine motorskills is a challenge for Salem. That is why performing a kata in the right way is such an extraordinary achievement for him. He is a dedicated boy, always willing to work hard. Especially before a competition, when he put in extra hours. It's also about coping with the pressure to perform well during a competition. At the world championship in Linz, Salem never once showed fear or wavered," Patrick said.
saman@khaleejtimes.com