Shah’s Rio chances bleak, says Masood

KARACHI: A top official of Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) on Monday said that only a miracle could now push Japan-based judoka Shah Hussain into the Olympics as he dropped to the 54th place as per the new rankings released by the International Judo Federation (IJF) on Monday.

“I think it’s now very difficult for Shah,” PJF secretary Masood Ahmed told ‘The News’. “He will now need to win gold medal in the Grand Slam and the Grand Prix,” he said.

“If Shah wins bronze in these events it will bring his ranking to 42 and he needs to be within top 34 for qualifying for Olympics,” the official said.

“He had a good chance in Tashkent but he missed medal in the Asian Championship. Now the chances are not high for Shah. It is unfortunate,” Masood said.

“Shah has so far been fielded in 13 events of the qualifiers which started in 2014. He missed a few events but we did our utmost to provide him chances so that he could qualify for the Olympics,” the official said.

“Winning gold in the Grand Slam and the Grand Prix is not easy as tough players from around the world contest in these events,” Masood said.

“Now there is only a minor chance. He may be given a place in the Olympics on continental quota but for that too Shah needs good ranking,” he said.

“An Iranian judoka qualified through continental quota when he rose to 41st spot. Shah is much behind that target,” Masood said.

“Qualifying for Olympics needs full collaboration among the state, the federation and the parents of the players. It’s hard to succeed without constant efforts for four years,” Masood said.

“We opted to give him chances in qualifiers when he won bronze in the Thailand Asian Championship in 2014. Our decision was right as Shah also won bronze in Kuwait’s Asian Championship a year later,” the official recalled.

“But in Tashkent last month he finished fifth in the continental event,” he said.

Shah features in the Grand Slam in Azerbaijan capital Baku on May 5. He will get Azerbaijan’s visa on arrival. But the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) is yet to give the PJF the green signal for the purpose.

“We have submitted the case with the PSB. Today I tried to contact the PSB Director General but he did not receive my calls. We need the PSB’s consent within the next few hours so that we can send him to Baku,” Masood said.

After the Grand Slam, Shah will flex his muscles in the Grand Prix in Kazakhstan on May 15.

“For that event, the Board has given its consent,” Masood said.

He said Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) had planned to get wild card entry for at least one martial arts player. “If that is the case then they may opt either for a judo player or a tae kwon do player,” Masood said.

He said Shah was a good player but he needed tougher training. “I think he is a bit slow and needs long training in Russia or any other Central Asian states or Iran where judokas are very brave,” he said.

Shah shot to fame when he clinched silver medal in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. He is the son of former Pakistan Olympic bronze medallist boxer Hussain Shah.