A nine-year-old Singaporean has made history after competing in a wrestling tournament in Dagestan, Russia.
Rumi Rangkayo Noorman travelled with his father, Mohammed Noorman Mubarak, 47, on a two-week trip to Dagestan in June, where he underwent intensive training and competed alongside young local wrestlers, reported Berita Harian (BH) on Friday (June 26).
Rumi took part in the Caspian Grappling League, which combines elements of wrestling and martial arts.
According to Mohammed Noorman, locals told him that his son is the first Singaporean to compete in the tournament.
A video posted on Instagram shows Rumi training and sparring with other young wrestlers. Although he did not win his first competitive match in the League, he said he is grateful for the overall experience.
In one post, he described the bout as intense, adding that he felt "disappointed but relieved not to be overwhelmed by the aura of [D]agestani grapplers".
Despite his son's loss, Mohammed Noorman said the experience in Dagestan was invaluable in building his son’s resilience.
He stressed that the trip was about more than results, encouraging Rumi to apply the lessons learnt to other areas of life.
“When he faces pressure in his studies, career or future challenges, I hope he’ll remember that tough times are only temporary,” he said.
“What matters is that he keeps pushing forward and continues improving.”
Mohammed Noorman is the founder of Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, a homegrown Singapore hawker-style chain.
Rumi, the eldest of his three children, has been involved in combat sports from a young age. He started Brazilian Ju-jitsu when he was six years old.
Even so, Mohammed Noorman told BH that the local training proved challenging. Sessions lasted between 90 minutes to two hours, six days a week. Rumi was able to push through with training and adapted to the demands and rigour of the tournament despite experiencing pain and minor injuries.
"I learned a great deal about wrestling and hope to continue deepening my knowledge of the sport and others that share similar techniques," said Rumi.
Beyond the competition, the father-and-son duo also documented their trip via Instagram, sharing glimpses of themselves sampling local fare such as lamb shawarma and fresh pomegranate juice.
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