27-03-2022
On Sunday 22 August, I left from Schiphol (Amsterdam) to Tallinn (Estonia) for my first European Championships. It is the first time for me representing the Netherlands at a such event! In retrospect, this event was a success for me. Although I lost my first match, I learned a lot from this event.
I was the first of the Dutch team who had to fight. I had my weigh-in at Monday for the -58kg category. On Tuesday I had to fight early in the morning with the match number 202 (field 2 - second match (02)) against Ivashchenko from Ukraine. It was an exciting match. I finished the first round of the three with a 12-11 lead. Second round was my strongest and finished it with a 24-16 lead. Third round went well with me leading the whole round till the last minute. Ivashchenko caught up the points and started leading with 28-29 in the last 20 seconds. After a hard 20 seconds fight, I could not take the lead back to me and lost the match with 33-36.
It was very unfortunate losing this fight so closely. The opponent was an experienced fighter who also became Vice European Champion in 2019. Nevertheless, I am still happy with the progress. This European Championship was just my second ranked tournament after 1,5 year of no tournaments due to the pandemic.
Next one for me is gonna be the Tallinn Open same weekend!
05-10-2025
Yesterday, I officially received my Bachelors Degree in Laws (LL.B.). Despite having had my diploma since January, this ceremony felt like a special occasion to reflect on everything I have achieved. It was a day full of pride and joy, and I look forward to what the future will bring me!
24-08-2025
From August 21 to 24, 2025, I took part in the very first Sportwerk Champions Camp in Düsseldorf (Germany)—an exceptional Taekwondo event organized by Sportwerk Düsseldorf.
The camp consisted of four intensive training days, with a total of seven sessions. These sessions were led by an impressive line-up of Olympic and World Champion coaches, including Rosendo Alonso, Bianca Cook, Aaron Cook, and Erdal Töre.
In addition to technical and tactical training, we had the opportunity to truly test our skills during match simulations using KPNP’s next-generation electronic scoring system.
The sessions were both educational and exhausting, filled with valuable insights, motivation, and team spirit. The perfect blend of challenge and enjoyment turned this training camp into not only a highly instructive event but also an unforgettable experience.
A big thank you to Sportwerk Düsseldorf for the invitation, the flawless organization, and the opportunity to train under such outstanding coaches. You truly made this camp a success!
Pictures shot by: Julia Ronken
27-07-2025
I’m incredibly proud and grateful to have represented Tilburg University once again on one of the world’s biggest student-athlete stages — the FISU World University Games in the Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany.
This unforgettable event brought together over 8,500 student-athletes from more than 100 countries. Competing at this level is already a privilege — but I was especially honoured to be chosen as flagbearer for the Netherlands 🇳🇱 during the spectacular opening ceremony in Duisburg. That moment, standing under the lights and carrying our flag, is one I will carry with me for life.
The atmosphere, the sportsmanship, and the friendships built during these 12 days made it a truly enriching experience. I embraced every moment — both on and off the mat.
In my opening match, I faced a strong opponent from Thailand. It was an intense, back-and-forth fight that went the full distance. After three hard-fought rounds, I lost 1–2. While it was disappointing to miss out on progressing further, my opponent went on to win the gold medal, which underlines the level of competition at this tournament.
Huge thanks to Studentensport Nederland for their outstanding organisation, and to Rafik Zohri and Hamza El Baroud for their great coaching.
And of course, thank you to Tilburg University, CurrentWerkt, UnitedConsumers, and Nihon Sport Nederland for their continued, sponsoring, support and trust. Thanks to you, I’ve been able to create another unforgettable chapter in my combined academic and athletic journey.
With this, the 2024–2025 season comes to an end — but my motivation is as strong as ever.
Here’s to new challenges, new goals, and more growth ahead!
A proud taekwondo athlete with Olympic ambitions who represents the Netherlands at international tournaments. Besides the passion for sports, Aymen is also a Master student of International Law & Global Governance at Tilburg University.
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