According to Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) secretary Masood Ahmed, the 21-year-old was unlucky as he faced a tough opponent in the very first round of the -90kg competition.
From the four athletes the federation had fielded, only Hijratullah Khan managed to reach the quarter-finals, while Iftikhar Ahmed impressed by reaching the third round of the Asian Cadet Championship.
“He [Sarwar] was unlucky really,” Masood told The Express Tribune. “We were expecting a lot from him. But Uzbek players are very skilled so it was a one-sided match. It was almost a knock-out as Sarwar’s opponent tapped the match with a choke on his neck.
“In chokes, if the player tries to move, they end up injuring themselves. So all I can say is that the Uzbek athlete was better than ours on the floor.”
On another note, Masood said that the PJF will be focusing on the youth in 2015 and help change lives, like that of 19-year-old Hijratuallah, a labourer from Peshawar.
“It’s necessary to send our players abroad and at least showcase their talent,” said Masood. “Hopefully when Hijratullah returns, he might get an offer from one of the sports departments in the country so that he doesn’t have to work as a truck loader anymore.”
The secretary added that the federation would send the players to Germany next year for a grand slam in February.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2014.
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