PJF plans to field Shah in Brazil Grand Slam

KARACHI: Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) plans to field Olympian Shah Hussain in the Grand Slam to be held in Brazil from October 6-8.

“Yes, we plan to field Shah in Brazil event but it is subject to support from the government,” PJF official Masood Ahmed told ‘The News’ on Thursday.

Masood said that the PJF had already submitted budget with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and that they expected it to back the federation. The serves as qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “It’s a very important event. Shah has got Brazil visa and we are waiting for the state’s response,” said Masood, the PJF vice-president.

Shah’s world ranking is 75 while his Olympic ranking is 61. He has seen a decline in both the world and Olympic rankings in recent days. Shah needs to compete in maximum events to improve his ranking in the -100 kilogramme weight category to contest for the Olympics seat.

Shah made history when he qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Shah is undergoing tough training in Tokyo which will also host the next year’s Olympics.

His father Hussain Shah told ‘The News’ from Tokyo on Thursday that the state should back his son as he was in top form. “My son is working very hard. His only focus is the Olympic seat. I don’t know why Pakistan’s government cannot spend on its top players who are aiming to qualify for Olympics,” Hussain said.

He said that Shah was at the peak of his career and it was important to invest in him so that he could qualify for the Olympics and win a medal. “He is capable of doing that,” Hussain was quick to add.