Karate: Gold winner Saadi to train in Australia

Federation’s lack of interest forces re-think by Asian karate champion.

KARACHI:

Disappointed by the Pakistan Karate Federation’s (PKF) lack of interest, Asian champion Saadi Abbas has decided to train in Australia.

Abbas, the first Pakistani to win a gold medal at the Asian Karate Championship  earlier this year, has been invited by clubs in Australia and will travel to Brisbane for two weeks of training.

“I’m going there to train and extend my career,” Abbas told The Express Tribune. “I might come back to Pakistan for the South Asian Karate Championship in November. But right now, I’m not sure.”

Abbas said that his patience ran out after the PKF failed to send him for any tournament or organise a training camp.

“I don’t think the government or the PKF are really in a position to help the country’s sportspersons. To this day, I’ve been waiting for the government to give me the reward they had pledged. It leaves me questioning whether I really want to represent Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, the PKF have also decided against participating in this month’s World Junior and Cadet Championship due to lack of funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2011.