From South Africa to Abu Dhabi: Father and Son take off to the IMMAF Championship

Irfaan, Haseen, and Thomas in Bush Radio

14-year-old martial artist Haseen Gool is on his way to Abu Dhabi with South Africa's squad for this year's IMMAF World Championships. Supported and coached by his father Irfaan Gool, this father-son duo came into Bush Radio's Backchat to talk MMA and share their journey in the martial arts world.

Irfaan, a former athlete himself with a long history in the world of MMA, started his journey with kickboxing before getting invested in all kinds of martial arts, especially Jiu Jitsu. After years of experience, he opened his own gym in 2022, having earned a variety of certificates and qualifications in the world of fitness.

As one can imagine, the Gool household was filled with this energy and passion for MMA, which is what inspired Haseen to get involved in the sport too. When asked what got him into it, he reflected on his childhood and said: "I was always around the sport, and then one day I just decided I'm going to start doing it, try it out."

Irfaan mentioned that he was hesitant at first to get his son into the world of fighting, since he knows how demanding it is, not only physically but also emotionally. He told us, "You know, as a parent, you always want the best for them." So after seeing the fire and passion young Haseen had back then, he knew the best thing he could do was support his son in achieving his goals.

Haseen described his journey as tough but rewarding. He always had a passion for it, but since he's still in school, he had to learn how to balance childhood and schooling with the sport. He started jujitsu at seven years old, then left the sport for a long while to focus on schooling. But the passion and drive never went away, so the young athlete went to his father and told him he really wanted to invest in and train seriously for MMA, hoping to one day go pro. Irfaan explained what that would mean: the hours of training, the grind, and the energy he would need to put in. Haseen was ready for the challenge.

So in October 2025, Haseen was locked in and ready for what was coming next. Eventually, the long days of training paid off when he earned a spot at the Western Province tryouts, where he put in real work and quickly made the team. Since then, he has continued training and competing in a number of championships.

Earlier this year, Haseen competed in the national championships, where he came home with a silver medal. More recently, he claimed gold at the Rukana Grappling competition, which earned him even more recognition, including on an international level. With all of this behind him, he's now getting ready to represent South Africa at the IMMAF World Championships on August 16th.

Irfaan expressed how proud he is of Haseen, not only as his coach but especially as his father, and he believes his son will go far. He also spoke about their future plans, given Haseen's goal of turning professional.

The first step is raising the funds to make sure the Abu Dhabi trip goes according to plan. His family and friends are working hard to save up money for this tournament, and Irfaan shared how people can help contribute to Haseen's dream.

Irfaan is running Friday and Saturday grills, selling R150 vouchers for a burger, chips, and fries, valid until the 31st of July. You can contact him at 084-090-7856. He says any help counts, from purchasing the vouchers to buying sausages for the grill, to simply spreading the word about Haseen's dream. The young athlete is also happy to chat and meet people at the grill, located at 80 Rockabee Road, Crawford. The funds that are being raised are going to purchase the flights, accommodations, and living expenses for when they take their trip overseas.

So as the IMMAF World Championships draw near, make sure to tune in and cheer on South African athlete Haseen Gool.

Written by Juhee Kim and Unathi Ngomana

Catch backchat on Bush Radio 89.5 FM bringing conversations that inform, inspire and connect communities across the world.