ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Pakistan’s 17-member ju jitsu team made a splash at the 2014 Asian Beach Games taking place in Thailand, bagging gold and silver medals in different categories yesterday.
The ju jitsu events started two days before the Games’ opening ceremony in Phuket, with Ahmed Butt winning a gold medal in the +90kg event, Muhammad Ammar and Abu Hurrairia claiming gold in the men’s duo event and Shahzeb Nawaz Janjua and Waheeduddin taking silver in the doubles competition.
Meanwhile, Sundas Salam Khan and Maryam bagged a silver medal in the women’s duo event, with the former pairing up with Ammar to clinch silver in the mixed duo event.
According to Pakistan Ju Jitsu Federation (PJJF) official Shabina Saeed, the squad will return home before the opening ceremony of the Games today.
Squash
Young squash players Abbas Shaukat and Asim Khan will represent Pakistan at the Asian Beach Games in the absence of senior players, who are currently taking part in the World Open Championship.
Squash will make its first appearance at the Asian Beach Games since the event’s inauguration in 2008.
“We’ve sent our ‘C’ team in these Games,” said Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) secretary Amir Zaman. “We aren’t expecting much, but we hope that they make it to the semi-finals at least as they are talented players.
“We’ve been told that a portable glass court will be laid on the beach, so that’s something interesting.”
In the women’s event, Samar Anjum and Riffat Khan will be competing in both individual and team events.
Kabaddi
Pakistan’s kabaddi team finished as runners-up in the last edition of the Asian Beach Games and will be looking to improve their performance this time around under the captaincy of Nasir Ali. Other athletes include Usman Zada, Wasim Sajjad, Abrar Hussain, Tariq Dogar and Akhlaq Hussain.
Major Nabeel will be the team’s coach, while Mohammad Ramzan will perform managerial duties. The event will be played in the four-player-a-side format.
Wrestling
With wrestling offering only three weight categories at the Asian Beach Games, the Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) will field Ghulam Haider in the -70kg event, Asad Butt in -80kg and Muhammad Inam in the +80kg competition.
All three wrestlers competed at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea last month.
“Haider will be our strongest wrestler,” said PWF secretary Muhammad Arshad Sattar. “He won gold at the last Beach Games, so we hope he’ll emulate the same form this time as well.”
Handball and volleyball
A 10-member handball team is due to take part at the Asian Beach Games, where Pakistan will be one of the top teams, having won the Asian Beach Championship in 2007 and 2008 and finishing runners-up in 2010.
“We have been training ever since we came here [on November 9],” said Pakistan Handball Federation President Muhammad Shafiq, while talking from Phuket.
Meanwhile, national champions Mubashir Raza and Muhammad Razzaq will represent Pakistan at the volleyball event at Karon Beach, Phuket from November 16 to 23 alongside 30 other nations.
Pakistan will also compete in the bodybuilding and sailing events; however, the officials for the respective sports could not be reached despite several attempts.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2014.
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Congrats and Yippies Pak Team