KARACHI: Pakistan's seasoned karetaka and former Asian champion Saadi Abbas plans to return to international circuit with full force after taking some rest in order to overcome his shoulder injury.
He has set his eyes on winning medals in the next year's Asian Games and World Championships.
“My plan is to take some rest in order to overcome my shoulder injury and then I will return to international circuit in March. I want to win medals in the Asian Games and the World Championship,” Saadi told 'The News' from Montreal, Canada.
He has entered into a contract with Academie de Karate Montreal to serve it as a coach-cum-player.
Before that he lived in the UAE where he had been attached with a club for several years.
Saadi developed the shoulder injury after the Islamic Games in Turkey. He carried it to the Commonwealth Karate Championship held in Birmingham in September this year where he lost to an Indian fighter in the -75kg bronze medal fight.
“Yes, I developed the shoulder injury after the Islamic Games. In the Commonwealth Championship, I also tried to deliver but could not do as the shoulder issue kept impeding my progress,” said Saadi, also a two-time Commonwealth Championship gold medallist.
“When I came to Pakistan the injury aggravated which forced me to stay away from the national event. I felt at that time that the recovery would take time. I got it treated. Dr Asad Abbas managed some injections and other things were done but to no avail,” said Saadi, also a former US Open champion.
“I thought about what I should do until I completely recovery so I came here and now have joined the club in Montreal. I want to achieve full recovery and it will take some time. In March 2023, I would like to return with full zeal and my first assignment will be the US Open. It will be followed by a series in Vancouver in April before taking part in any Premier League event in May. In June I will feature in the Asian Championship,” Saadi said.
“If I trained with the plan I have made then I hope that God Almighty would bestow me with medals in the Asian Games and the World Championship,” he said.
These are the two events in which Lyari-born Saadi is yet to achieve any big success. He has won medals in almost every other international event, including the Islamic Games -- he captured silver in the 2017 Baku Islamic Games.
The Asian Games are slated to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
Because of the injury, Saadi has decided to stay away from the Asian Championship which is scheduled to begin in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from December 16.