Davoud Etminani - Taking On The World, From Lewisham College to the Olympics

Current British Taekwondo Champion, Davoud Etminani, who attended Lewisham College from 2000 to 2004 has high hopes for the future. The year 2012 has a great deal of meaning to him as that is the year he is hoping to win the Gold Medal for Team GB in the sport of Taekwondo at the Olympics to be held in London that year.

Originally from Iran, Davoud came to the UK in 2000 and has been a British Citizen since 2005. He was an incredibly energetic child. “I wasn’t a trouble maker,’ he reminisces. “But I was a bit of a handful. I always seemed to be able to slip out on to the streets with my friends – and that was where all the trouble usually was!" His father’s solution was to take him to a Taekwondo club in an effort to divert the young Davoud’s energy in to something more positive. He hadn’t reckoned that this solution to a temporary problem would become a lifelong passion for Davoud.  It would eventually lead to this - a Gold Medal at the French Open of 2009.

Davoud came to Lewisham College in 2000 and studied English (ESOL) first of all.  Then Davoud went on to study ICT under the tutorage of Sorie Rezakhani and Andy Wicks among others. He has very fond memories of the College. “Learning English was great and fun, at Lewisham College.  At The LC I went from being a none English speaker and I ended up with some English qualifications in the UK."  Then came the chance to move in to the mainstream of College Education.

"Spending nearly 4 years at The LC came with loads of good memories but I guess when my application for ICT was accepted it is one of my favourite memories," says Davoud.  "I was not sure if the level of my English was good enough at the time.”.

Certainly he freely admits if it wasn’t for the opportunities offered by the College he would not have been able to successfully complete his education.

The ties between the ESOL and the Business and Computing Department at the college have always been strong and this was one of many progression opportunities offered over the years for people who needed just that - an opportunity.

Davoud retained his immense interest in Taekwondo throughout his first years in the UK, training while immersing himself in British culture and getting an education at The LC at the same time. He has been a member of the UK National Team since 2005 and has successfully participated in many tournaments since then.

It didn't happen overnight but took years of training.  "I started winning club and regional tournaments," says Davoud.  "After that I never wanted to miss a session.  I don’t know what it was but I guess I love winning.  Taekwondo thought me a lot in my life.  I learnt discipline and respect."

His medals make for quite a list of achievements. He was European Bronze Medalist in 2005 & 2006 and Commonwealth Gold Medalist in 2006. He was in the Top 6 in the World Championships of 2005 and 2007. Davoud has achieved Bronze in the Dutch Open of 2008 and a Silver in the German Open of the previous year. No Gold medals? Well, not one but three. Davoud has achieved Gold medals in the Polish Open (2005), the Tellerburg Open (2007) and the French Open of 2009.

About the French Open, Davoud remembers the competition with happiness. "I won the prestigious “A” class event.  The French Open had an entry of 42 nations, including teams from Germany, Spain, Brazil and Iran. The depth of this world class competition was the largest of any Olympic weight group tournament that year.  I won Gold in the -68kgs category, a weight that had over a hundred competitors."  That is certainly some achievement.

You might be wondering - quite rightly - why Davoud didn’t compete in the Beijing Olympics of 2008. He did make the team but injury forced him to pull out of the games only two weeks before they opened. To say that has increased his determination to be fit and ready for the next is an understatement.

However, obstacles aside - like Lewisham College, Davoud is all about ‘Achieving Ambitions’. And boy, does he have a few. He hopes to win Gold in both the European and Commonwealth Games this year – and to repeat the same next year in the World Championships. 2012 remains, however, the ultimate target. That year Davoud’s driving ambition is to take the Gold in the European Championships and to repeat that at the Olympics later on in the year. No pressure, then, Davoud!

Preparing for such a timetable presents its own difficulties, however. It has always been a struggle for Davoud to balance Taekwondo with his commitments – usually due to financial reasons. Sponsorship is still an elusive thing to achieve, despite the fact that many people assume that any potential Olympian is automatically funded by the National Lottery. "Ideally, I am looking for a sponsor who will enable me to train properly for the Olympics," he admits, "But that is proving quite difficult." He remains optimistic for the future, however.

If you are interested in learning and seeing more, then visit Davoud Etminani's Website - and say hello!

We wish you all the best from Lewisham College, Davoud!