Karate exclusion from SAG shocks PKF

KARACHI: The exclusion of karate from the South Asian Games (SAG) — for the first time in history — has left Pakistan Karate Federation’s (PKF) top officials shell-shocked.
“This development is shocking. It is a big upset for our players, who were eagerly awaiting the South Asian Games,” PKF president Mohammad Jehangir told ‘The News’ from Lahore on Wednesday.
The development also forced Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to stop the preparatory camp which was in progress in Lahore.
“After India refused visas to our contingent for the South Asian Championship in India this year, the SAG were the prime target of our players, but they have also been deprived of this opportunity,” PKF official said.
He added that the organisers of SAG were forced to exclude karate from the list of events because there were two parallel karate bodies operating in India.
“Besides Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Afghanistan also questioned the decision, but the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was helpless, as it was not in a position to stage competitions in the discipline due to that conflict,” Jehangir said.
“It was the only discipline in which weak nations of the region could also win one or two medals,” the official said.
The SAG are pencilled in for February 6-16 in Guwahati and Shillong. Pakistan’s karatekas have no other mission in the next few months.