‘I wonder if my feats are being recognised’

Karateka Abbas skeptical about participating in Asian Championship.

KARACHI: Despite winning the Commonwealth gold medal in Canada last month for Pakistan, Saadi Abbas is skeptical about his participation in the upcoming continental championship next month.

Abbas rose to fame when he became the first Pakistani to win a gold medal at the Asian Karate-do Championship in 2011 against athletes from China, Japan and Korea.

He also performed well at the same event last year where he won the bronze medal. He has continued to represent Pakistan internationally and remains the only South Asian to win medals in karate events.

‘I don’t feel like any of my efforts really matter’

However, Abbas’s achievements were overlooked by the government, including his latest title in the Commonwealth Karate Championship in Canada. He won the 67kg title, defeating athletes from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa along the way to reach the final.

“I haven’t heard anything from the Pakistan Karate Federation (PKF) about the upcoming Asian Championship,” Abbas told The Express Tribune. “I’m being encouraged by my friends to take part in the event again, as I am hopeful I can win a medal. But I wonder if any of my feats are being recognised by the government and the people in Pakistan at all.

“I had picked up an injury before the Commonwealth Championship, but I trained hard just to represent my country there. I went to Canada on my own, but I don’t feel like any of my efforts really matter.

“I can’t go directly to the Asian Championship because I’m afraid the government or the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) might sue me for participating on my own.”

Abbas is playing for Al-Ahili Club in Dubai. He said that he started to train for the Asian Championship again, but is not sure about his participation from the PKF yet.

Meanwhile, PKF Secretary Shamim Hashmi said that athletes will compete in Dubai and the federation had submitted the relevant documents to the POA.

aPublished in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2013.

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