PWF President Malik Iftikhar Ahmed labelled the event as a mini world championship. PHOTO: AFP
PWF President Malik Iftikhar Ahmed labelled the event as a mini world championship where top teams from Europe and Asia will be participating. He hopes that Pakistan can build on their previous performance in Iran, where they bagged multiple medals at the previous edition in 2012.
“It’s like a mini world championship for us as we really don’t get many opportunities to send our players abroad,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “This tournament is important because we have a good record in Iran. Last time we sent seven athletes and bagged four silver medals and two bronze.”
Wushu, more commonly known as Kung fu, is a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts and requires intense practice to master.
The Pakistan contingent, which includes 13 players and three coaches, along with the technical officials, have been training for the event at the Pakistan Sports Board Complex in Islamabad since August 1.
And while Ahmed accepts that Pakistan’s facilities are incomparable to those in other countries — only one training facility — he hopes that players like Alam Zeb, who won a gold medal against Iran in the West Asian Championship in February this year, and Abdullah along with Muhammad Shahzeb can make their mark.
“This time we are sending 13 athletes and are hopeful that we can win more medals,” said Ahmed. “Iran is hosting the best tournament in the world and top countries are participating in it. It is crucial for us to be at our best and try to win as many medals as possible.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2015.
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