KARACHI: Pakistan Karate Federation (PKF) plans to send the country’s premier karateka Saadi Abbas to Iran for training ahead of the World Karate Championships which will be held in Linz, Austria, from October 25-30 this year.
“We are trying to send him to Iran before the global event,” PKF president Mohammad Jehangir told ‘The News’ on Monday. “Players from Hong Kong and Korea are also expected to come to Iran in near future. Training with them will benefit Saadi.
“He wants to do something unusual in the event. He has left his job in Dubai because that was hurting his training,” the official added.
Jehangir said that he had strong links with Iran’s karate authorities and it would not be a problem for him to send his players for training.
“We have good relations at the federation level. We don’t see any problems in sending our players to Tehran,” the official claimed.
“Iran and Turkey are the two best destinations for our players. Both these nations are strong in karate,” he said.
The PKF is also considering sending Baaz Mohammad with Saadi to Iran. “It is yet to be decided but we may also send Baaz Mohammad with Saadi as he is our second best player,” the official said.
Saadi, who is the only karateka of South Asia to have won Asian Championships gold, will come down to Lahore from Dubai early next month to prepare for the event in Austria.
Saadi finished seventh in the -67 kg competitions in the 2008 World Championships in Japan.
But Jehnagir said he could do better in Austria if trained properly.
“He is a gutsy boy and can do much better than what he did in Japan,” Jehangir said.
Saadi has been impressive over the years with two gold medals in the Commonwealth Karate Championships, one in the US Open, and gold in the Asian Karate Championships in 2011 in China.
During his stay in Dubai Saadi remained associated with Al-Ahli club for several years.
“He will now permanently settle in Pakistan and will join the national team’s camp at the PSB’s Coaching Centre in Lahore for the South Asian Karate Championship which will be held in India in September,” Jehangir said. That event will be held from September 22-25.
In the camp 35 players are training under coaches Khalid Noor, Shah Mohammad and Ghulam Ali.
Saadi will also be part of the touring party. Pakistan missed the previous event, also hosted by India in 2014, because of visa issue. Pakistan had been the defending champions.
Jehangir said that he wanted to send a full-fledged side to India.
“If we get full financial support from the government we will send the complete squad,” said Jehnagir, who is also a member of the POA’s affiliation committee.
