PSB approves training camps for four key disciplines

KARACHI: And eventually Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) approved training camps for four key disciplines for upcoming major international commitments.

“Yes, we have approved the camps for wrestling, karate, kabaddi and judo. Today we informed the federations about it,” PSB Director General Col (retd) Mohammad Asif Zaman told ‘The News’ on Wednesday.

“We have already held camps of hockey, athletics, weightlifting and volleyball at various centres but these four are full-body-contact disciplines and today we have issued letters to the respective federations about their camps,” said Asif, also a former squash player.

He said these camps will continue until the 14th South Asian Games which Pakistan will host in March 2023.

He said the Board has also asked federations to start working for hiring foreign coaches and the PSB will back them.

The wrestling camp will be held at the PSB Coaching Centre Lahore.

A senior official of Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) said that they are preparing for the camp.

“We just received an email from the PSB and are shortlisting 20 wrestlers for the camp. We will soon write emails to departments and InshaAllah wrestlers will be invited for the camp as per schedule,” PWF vice-president Arshad Sattar told ‘The News’.

“We had informed the PSB that we would put 30 wrestlers in the camp but the Board gave us strength of 20 wrestlers and two coaches in the first step. But we are hopeful that the Board will soon increase the strength to 30,” the official said.

“This will be the camp for the Commonwealth Games, Islamic Games, Asian Games and South Asian Games. We also plan to send three wrestlers to the Asian Championship to be held in April,” Arshad said.

The kabaddi camp will begin from March 7 at the Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad. An official of Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) said that 20 players will be put in the camp.

“Yes, we have been given a camp from March 7. We will put 20 players and three officials in the camp. This will cover Asian Games, South Asian Games and other international commitments,” PKF secretary Mohammad Sarwar told this correspondent.

“I am happy that eventually training will start. We will also induct young blood from the junior event we conducted recently,” Sarwar said.

Pakistan Karate Federation’s (PKF) chairman Mohammad Jehangir also confirmed the camp, saying it will begin at Islamabad from March 7.

“Yes, our secretary received a message on whatsapp today and we have been given a camp from March 7 to June 30 for 16 fighters, eight male and eight female, and two coaches,” Jehangir said.

“We definitely need an increase in the strength. We had told the PSB that we would like to have 32 fighters, 16 male and 16 female, in the camp as our main target is the South Asian Games where there will be more weight categories. In the Asian Games there is no team kata,” the official responded to a question from this correspondent.

“Tomorrow we will write to concerned units to send their fighters for training,” Jehangir said. He said that Dubai-based premier fighter Saadi Abbas will also join the camp.

“Yes, he has agreed. He is also the silver medallist of the Islamic Games and his presence in the camp is necessary,” the official said.

An official of Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) said they have not yet received any letter for the camp.

“A few days ago our president held a meeting with the Board and told it that judo camp should be started soon,” a PJF official told this correspondent.

According to Asif Zaman, PJF will also soon get the letter about the camp.

The Commonwealth Games are pencilled in for July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, Asian Games will be held from September 10-25 in Hangzhou, China, Islamic Games are slated to be held from August 9-18 in Konya, Turkey, and South Asian Games are scheduled to be held in March 2023 in Pakistan.