Ammar, Huraira to feature in ju-jitsu duo event

World Games 2017

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top ju-jitsu pair Mohammad Ammar and Abu Huraira, both from Karachi, will represent the country in the men’s duo event of ju-jitsu competitions of the World Games 2017 to be held in Wroclaw, Poland, from July 20-30.

This is the first time that Pakistan has qualified for the major global show after they grabbed silver medal in the Asian Championships in Turkmenistan held in October 2016, which also served as qualifiers for the World Games.

The duo, who represent WAPDA at the domestic level, had claimed silver medal in the World Championships in Bangkok in 2015.

They have been undergoing training here at the PSB Coaching Centre for the last three months under the supervision of coaches Mohammad Ali and Tariq Ali.

“Five-hour training in three sessions is held daily,” coach Mohammad Ali told ‘The News’ here on the sidelines of the training session on Saturday.

He said that the players had a fine track record in international events and he expected something stunning from the pair in Poland which would no doubt be a difficult event because of the global attendance.

He said that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) was providing every kind of assistance to them during the camp. “The Board has been kind and the director here is also helping us a great deal. We don’t have any problem here,” Ali said.

Ammar said that they would try to reach the final in Poland. “Our main target is to qualify for the final,” the seasoned player told this correspondent.

He said Australia, Belgium and France were tough in the duo category competitions, adding they were confident of putting their best.

He also suggested that there should be a separate gymnasium for martial arts at the PSB Coaching Centre Karachi.

“No doubt, we are being provided with every kind of facility here. But I would suggest that there should be an exclusive facility for martial arts players so that athletes could focus on their training,” he pointed out.

This correspondent saw that in the hall where Ammar and Abu Huraira were undergoing training for the World Games, some players were also playing badminton, which seemed to be a repulsive factor for the country’s great ju-jitsu pair.

Although Ammar and Abu Huraira have been serving the country tremendously, their services have not yet been regularised by their department WAPDA despite serving it for several years. “Yes, we are on contracts,” Ammar said.

The seven-time national champion added that in the last six years, he had earned nothing through the game. “I have hardly earned Rs150,000 in terms of cash prizes during the last six years while I have spent around Rs500,000 from my own pocket on the game from different perspectives,” he revealed.

Despite such poor treatment, the player has claimed several medals for the nation and does not want to avail himself of the opportunities of settling down abroad. “I love my country. It makes me happier when I hoist the state’s flag at the international forum. I would have easily settled down abroad but I want to live in my own country because I love it, irrespective of the fact what I earn through this sport,” Ammar said.

Both Ammar and Abu Huraira are also the Asian Beach Games gold medalists in men’s duo.

They were both judo players before they opted to devote themselves to ju-jitsu.

Both judo and ju-jitsu have several things in common and that is why several judo players were also seen serving Pakistan in ju-jitsu in the past.

About the need of a foreign coach, Ammar added h

e was satisfied with his local coaches. “Had our local coaches not competent we would not have been able to snare medals in top international competitions,” the player said.