At least 30 Pakistan judokas are hard at work in the national camp being staged during Ramazan to prepare them for the 2014 World Judo Championship that will take place in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
Taking place in August, the world event will also be the 2016 Rio Olympics qualification round for the top athletes in the world.
According to Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) Secretary Masood Ahmed, the event will be a defining moment for the athletes, who are going all out in the training that has been taking place in Peshawar since the beginning of this year with small breaks in between.
“This event is our hope and we have many expectations from it,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “If our athletes can finish among the top three, they can confirm a place in the Olympics.
“They are currently preparing in Peshawar at the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) facility under the guidance of national coach Sajjad Kazmi [from Iran]. Despite it being Ramazan, they train until late in the night, and this speaks about their passion for the sport. We want to see Pakistan’s flag in the Olympic judo competition.”
Ahmed added that the government has helped the PJF with new equipment in Peshawar, and hopes that with the start of the new financial year, the PSB will be able to release a grant of Rs15.6 million so that the PJF can send a full squad to the World Championship.
“Right now, we’ll send at least four or five athletes, depending on their performance in the international events,” said Ahmed.
“Our top player Shah Hussain Shah is a very strong competitor, but his performance in Hungary was not satisfactory, so we’ll consider more options.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2014.
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