The 35-year-old is the coach of arguably the most surprising taekwondo gold medallist of August's Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Abughaush was a virtual unknown on the elite taekwondo circuit but he defeated Russia’s Alexei Denisenko in the final of the featherweight under-68 kilogram competition.

"I thought it was a dream for two weeks," said Alassaf.

"I woke up at 6am every day, I was not sure if I was asleep or awake.

"When we came home, all of Jordan knew Abughaush.

"They had pictures in the street, and Princes turned up to greet him at the airport."

Following Abughaush's success, the two are now back in training along with crowds of new students who have taken up the sport as a result of their hero's victory.

"Before the Olympics, Jordan did not have any plan for training in taekwondo, judo and karate," said Alassaf.

 "After the Olympics, all the people - and their sons and daughters - are all training and taekwondo is the number one sport, more popular than football."

Success as a coach of an Olympic champion has also opened doors for Alassaf, who was present at the recent World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Coach Seminar and Forum in Seoul.

"I think now that there are too many championships - the World Championships, the Universiade, the G1s and G2s, the Grand Prix," he noted during the Forum.

"It requires too much from the players, it is hard on the body, too tough - too much energy."

Alassaf also said he is happy with the current direction the sport has been going in recent years, in both the Grand Prix series and the Olympic Games, but he hopes for further development.

"Maybe uniforms can be more beautiful - like we had Jordanian red pants and we were all happy to see the flag on them," he said.

"And music that plays at the start - maybe the players can choose music."