Iftikhar advances into Asian Cadet Judo C’ship quarters

KARACHI: Pakistani judoka Iftikhar Ahmad qualified for the quarter-finals after beating Al-Naqbi Obaid of UAE in 9th Asian cadet judo championship in Bangkok, Thailand.
Pakistan judo team, consisting of three judokas, is featuring in 9th Asian cadet and 16th Junior judo championships.
The team members are Wajahat Sarwar (-100Kg) and Nadeem Akram (-73Kg), who are featuring in junior event. Meanwhile, Iftikhar (-55Kg) is participating in cadet tournament.
Coach Sajjad Kazemi and team manager Syed Habib Shah are accompanying the team.
Iftikhar will now face Uzbek Tojiev Arslonbek, ranked 48th in the world, in quarter-finals. Iftikhar’s world ranking is 131.
“It has been a great performance for a Pakistan judoka to have qualified for a high-profile judo event where players of many countries are featuring. I see a bright future in international arena for our judokas,” Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) secretary Masood Ahmed told PPI.
Pakistan’s Asian Qualified Referee Qamar Shakeel Bukhari performed his duties for the first time in a foreign event in Bangkok.
“Qamar gave a full point decision during a bout yesterday, which was challenged. When replays were analysed it was decided that Qamar was right. So, he was lauded in a post-match ceremony for accurate refereeing,” Masood added.