Shah Hussain Shah urges to send Pakistan judokas abroad for training

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top judoka Shah Hussain Shah believes that the country has immense talent in judo but the judokas should be sent to some foreign countries for training to groom them in a highly competitive environment.

"I've seen them fighting here. They are highly talented but to match the class of the world's top judokas they need to get training on most modern lines. And for that, you will have to send them to countries which have excellent judo facilities and competitive environment," he told APP.

The Japan-based judoka who is in Pakistan these days to participate in the 25th Men's National Judo Championship underway at the Liaquat Gymnasium of Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad, in particular, emphasised to send Pakistani judokas either to Japan or France for training sessions.

"These are the countries which have excellent judo facilities. If our youth gets an opportunity to train there they'll soon start delivering results at the international level," he added.

The 23-year-old who represented Pakistan in several international events winning a gold medal in February last year's Asian Games in India and silver medal in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
He was also the only athlete from Pakistan who qualified for Rio Olympics under the continental quota. But this is the first time he is appearing in a national event in Pakistan.

On the first day of the 25th Men's National Championship, he lifted gold in the open weight category.

"I'm really happy to feature in a national event here. Playing against compatriot judokas is a unique experience. I'm enjoying a lot here," stated Shah who is also scheduled to take part in the minus 100 kg contest of the National Championship on Saturday.