Iran’s Kazmi back as Pakistan coach

KARACHI: Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) has hired the services of Iranian coach Sajjad Kazmi once again, it was confirmed on Monday.

This will be Kazmi's second stint as Pakistan coach. He previously served from 2012 to 2016. "Yes, he has been hired and he is going to apply for visa and will soon be here," a senior official of the PJF told 'The News'.

Sajjad is a Black Belt 6 DAN. "Kazmi knows the environment and his presence with us as a coach will be of high utility for our preparation for future international assignments," the official said. The official said that the national camp which had been set up at Quetta before Eid is expected to be shifted to Islamabad. "We have already requested the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to shift the camp to Islamabad and if it is approved then it will be easier for the federation to smartly look after our foreign coach also," the official said.

The Director General of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Col (retd) Asif Zaman told 'The News' that he will take a decision about this soon. "I will talk with the federation and we will decide on that matter," he said.

The PJF official said that the PJF has also requested the PSB to back the federation's plan to send its top lot to Mongolia and Hungary for training and competition purposes which will help them prepare well for the Commonwealth Games and the Islamic Games.

"We sent a request to the PSB on April 22. We want to field around six judokas in the Grand Slam to be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from June 24-26. Our plan is to send the lot to Mongolia 15 days ahead of the Grand Slam which will help them train there with the world's top lot. And then our plan is to send Olympian Shah Hussain and Qaiser Afridi to Hungary to feature in the Grand Slam slated to be held from July 8-10 in Budapest," the official said.

It is confirmed that Olympian Shah Hussain and Qaiser Afridi will feature in the Commonwealth Games.