Pakistan bag 10 medals at Asian Championship

Contingent pleased with show at ju-jitsu and belt wrestling event.

KARACHI: Pakistan secured a total of 10 medals at the fourth Asian Championship for Ju-Jitsu and Belt Wrestling Sports to cap off an impressive campaign in Iran as the three-day event ended yesterday.

Sundus Islam, the only female athlete among the four sent by the Pakistan Ju-Jitsu Federation, bagged two silver medals after her two fights. She won a silver medal in the -49 category event, while the second one was claimed in the -48 kg belt wrestling event.

Meanwhile, the duo of Mohammad Ammar and Abu Huraira also won individual medals after clinching a gold medal in the men’s team event on the first day of the tournament.

Huraira secured a silver medal in the 62-kg category, a bronze medal in the belt wrestling free style and another bronze medal in the classic fighting style.

His partner Ammar also won three bronze medals in the -69 kg fighting event and the belt wrestling classic style and the belt wrestling free style competitions.

While Ammar and Huraira won seven medals in total, Mohammad Irfan secured a silver medal in the 77-kg fighting event. He won the silver medal as he picked up an injury in the final fight and quit the bout midway.

The championship featured 150 players in the event including players from Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, India, Iraq and Vietnam.

The PJF had originally planned to send 12 players for the Asian Championship but managed to send only four after the Pakistan Sports Board failed to issue NOCs to the remaining players.

According to the PJF official, all four players managed the expenses on their own.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2012.