Saadi wins two fights, loses the third in Karate-I Premier League

KARACHI: Pakistan’s star karateka and 2020 Tokyo Olympics hope Saadi Abbas on Friday won two fights before losing in the third round to the world’s best fighter Thomas Scot of the United States in the Karate-I Premier League in Tokyo.

Saadi, who entered the event with 18th Olympic ranking, had a golden start to his journey when he overcame Garibovic Enes of Croatia 1-0 in the -75kilogramme first round fight. Saadi defeated Bulut Enes of Turkey quite convincingly 4-0 to set fight with Scot who stands at No5 in the Olympic rankings.

Saadi made a great start against Scot and at one stage was leading 2-0. But Scot was lucky to land a kick in the right area of his Pakistani opponent’s body which tilted the pendulum in favour of the American.

But the two crucial wins in the Olympic qualifying event and a tough fight against Scot will enable Dubai-based Saadi to boost his Olympics rankings further. He was satisfied with his performance. “I am happy with the way I performed,” he told ‘The News’ from Tokyo on Friday.

“I was 2-0 ahead and no trick of Scot was working on me. But I was unfortunate when he managed a lone kick that fetched him three points and so he surpassed me and won in the last 50 seconds,” said Saadi, a two-time Commonwealth Championships gold medallist.

The former Asian champion Saadi has featured in a number of Olympic qualifying events this year and has improved his ranking considerably. He still has a few events competing in which he can make a place in the Olympics.

Pakistani athletes have been struggling to find places in Olympics despite having no major support from anywhere. The other day Pakistani shooter Khalil Akhtar blasted his way into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he finished sixth in the World Cup (a qualifying round) in Brazil in the 25-metre rapid fire pistol event. Rajanpur-born Khalil belongs to Army. He is the first marksman in the history of Pakistan’s shooting who directly qualified for the world’s most prestigious event. Next month Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem will try his luck to earn an Olympic seat when the Mian Channu-born javelin thrower competes in the World Athletics Championships in Doha.