Saadi to face Indian fighter in Asian C’ship tomorrow

KARACHI: Pakistan’s premier karateka Saadi Abbas will face India’s Aman Kumar in the first round of the -75 kilogramme of the Asian Karate Championship in Almaty on Tuesday (tomorrow).

In this weight category, 15 fighters will flex their muscles. Saadi, who had along with Mohammad Awais reached Almaty on December 14, is sick.

“We reached here on December 14 and since then I have been suffering from a viral flu. I saw a doctor yesterday and he prescribed some medicines and also advised rest. Let’s see how it goes,” Saadi told ‘The News’ from Almaty.

Saadi, a former Asian champion, said that he is fighting the Indian for the first time. “I have not played against him and when we go to ring then we will see how he is,” Saadi said.

This will be a sort of pre-quarter-final.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s other fighter Mohammad Awais will face Palestine’ s Anas Bsharat in the -84kg fight also on Tuesday.

Awais, who belongs to Quetta, is a former Asian Junior champion and got two golds during the South Asian Games in Nepal in 2019.

Pakistan Karate Federation (PKF) chairman Mohammad Jehangir told ‘The News’ on Sunday that Saadi will be able to beat the Indian.

However, he said that there were a couple of tough fighters of Japan and Iran in Saadi’s weight. “Kazakhstan’s fighters are also tough. Saudi Arabia also won silver in Tokyo Olympics and they have improved a lot in karate,” Jehangir said.

He also hoped that Awais would put in his best. “Awais is a valiant fighter. Having got bronze in Asian Junior Championship three years ago he also got two golds in South Asian Games and I am very much confident both fighters will do their best,” Jehangir said.

The PKF spent around Rs1.4 million for fielding these two fighters in Almaty event.