Afghanistan Peace CampaignOn a typical night, Shujaee sleeps for about five hours. He said he doesn’t need much to feel refreshed.
The junior hasn’t had much time to rest since moving from Afghanistan 11 months ago. Shujaee works five days a week at Costco, practices wrestling for three hours a day and helps care for his three siblings. His coaches often praise his work ethic — it’s why they think he has a chance to wrestle collegiately. Shujaee hopes they’re right.
“We are new here. It’s hard to pay off our rent because it’s very expensive,” Shujaee said. “I want to be a champion in the future. … I am here to get a scholarship from a college and wrestle.”
Shujaee moved to the United States in January. His father had worked with the U.S. Army, meaning the Shujaee family — his mother, two brothers and sister — received special visas granted to those who aided the U.S. government abroad.
When he came to the United States, he brought with him a love of wrestling. He picked up the sport at 14 years old, hoping to lose some weight. In Afghanistan he practiced freestyle wrestling, the preferred international style. U.S. wrestlers use folkstyle. It is not too different from freestyle, but it is typically slower and more methodical. Shujaee said he found folkstyle easier, but he needed time to get accustomed to new techniques.
Upon arriving at Blake, he wanted to join the wrestling team immediately. But it was spring by then, and the season had just ended. Blake Coach Jim Potts connected Shujaee with local clubs, and he quickly began training at Capital Wrestling Club in Gaithersburg. Because of his unusual situation, the gym allowed him to train free.
“He was able to acclimate and learn the new rule set in a really short period of time, which I think is a testament to his athleticism and knowledge of the sport,” said Max Meltzer, co-founder and coach at Capital Wrestling Club.
Outside of the sport, Shujaee said, the biggest difference between the United States and Afghanistan is the price of goods. He could buy six pairs of shoes for $100 in Afghanistan. That barely covers a single pair of quality athletic shoes here.
Shujaee’s first meet of the season took place at the Mad Mats tournament at Magruder on Dec. 8. He used an old pair of wrestling shoes given to him by a friend. The black Rudis sneakers have small tears near the white sole. They didn’t stop him from defeating his first opponent by technical fall in just 2 minutes 15 seconds.But there wasn’t much time to celebrate. He grabbed his gray sweatshirt and rushed to an adjacent gym to cheer on Arshad, who had his first match of the day. After Arshad won, his brother was waiting with a hug.
“I enjoy having him here with me,” said Arshad, a sophomore. “He works very hard. He is really interested in wrestling and likes wrestling. He also works hard for our family.”
The work ethic that defines his wrestling skill set is the same that has him scanning the QR code on his employee ID to start his shift at Costco in Wheaton. It’s the same that helps him stock shelves through the evening.
“I can’t explain how proud I am of my son. I know he is a hard worker,” Mohammed Bashir said. “I want him to get everything he wants.”
On the second day of Mad Mats, Zahid lost in the championship round in a 12-5 decision in the 150-pound weight class. Despite his disappointment, he remains optimistic about the rest of the season. His coach shares his confidence.
“Being that it was a whole new thing and a whole different set of rules, I thought he did a great job,” Potts said.
Next year, Shujaee will be ineligible to wrestle with Blake as a senior because he’ll be 19 at the start of the season, putting him over the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association age limit. Potts said Shujaee could become a team manager instead. He could also enroll in a postgraduate private school, allowing him to continue wrestling while also pursuing his high school diploma.
No matter which route he chooses, Shujaee knows he won’t stray far from the mat.
“This is my life,” Shujaee said. “This is something I learned. Wrestling is in my blood. I have to do this.”