Shah sets sights on Tokyo 2020

KARACHI: After gaining the experience of playing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Pakistan’s top judoka Shah Hussain has now set his eyes on winning a medal in the 2020 Olympics which will be held at his hometown in Tokyo, Japan.

“In Rio I gained experience and confidence and I should now get a medal in 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” Shah told ‘The News’ in an interview from Tokyo on Thursday.Shah was the first Pakistani judoka in history to take part in Olympics. He had qualified on the basis of continental quota.“I have matured and it’s time for me to click at the biggest stage,” the 24-year-old Shah said.

Shah has also to his credit silver medal in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.When he was going to Rio he had weaknesses in different areas but now the son of former Olympic medallist boxer Hussain Shah says that he has overcome most of his grey areas. “I have worked hard over my weak areas and I now feel that I should now go for quality training which is the only way to qualify for and win medal in Olympics,” Shah said.

In Rio, Shah faltered in his -100 kilogramme first bout. He was beaten by Ukraine’s Artem Bolshenko in the round of 32.The 2020 Olympics qualifiers for judo will begin this summer and will continue till 2020 summer.

Shah is being sent to Hungary for a couple of months training by the Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) along with a handful of Pakistan’s home-grown fighters. Shah says it would be a great tour. “It would help me a lot,” says Shah, who has also been recruited by Army.

“But I am considering whether I should stay longer in Hungary or come to Japan and undergo training here for the qualifiers and a few vital international assignments, including the Asian Games in Indonesia this summer,” Shah said.

He said training in Europe and Russia would be of great value. He expressed his desire to also compete in the National Games which are slated to be held in Quetta from April 21-29.“Definitely I will compete in National Games if I return from Hungary,” Shah said.

He said that he had been training hard alongside top national fighters of Japan. “I am doing hard training here in Tokyo and am in good shape,” said Shah, who also has to his credit a bronze medal in the 2014 Asian Championship in Bangkok.

Pakistan is also focusing on emerging youngster Qaiser Afridi and Japan-based Amina Toyoda as both have the capability to represent Pakistan at the biggest stage in future.Shah’s father Hussain Shah said he expected his son to win a medal this time. “My son is working extremely hard and I am very much confident he will win a medal this time,” Hussain Shah told this correspondent.

Hussain Shah trains professional boxers in Japan.Besides having won a bronze medal for Pakistan in 1988 Seoul Olympics in boxing, Hussain Shah is also the only Pakistani fighter in amateur circuit who has to his credit five South Asian Games golds.