PESHAWAR: An 18-member Pakistan team left for India to participate in the forthcoming third South Asian Senior and Junior Karate Championships to be held in New Delhi from Sept 23 to 25.

Talking to APP, Pakistan team coach and double gold medallist of the SAF Games Khalid Noor said Pakistan had a good record of winning the championship twice and claiming silver medals as many times.

He said his players were ready to fetch more medals.

The coach added that the team will take part in different categories like senior, junior and female events.

He further said they held a two-month-long camp for 41 players who recorded excellent performance in national junior and senior championships.

Khalid complained that India had granted visa to only 18 players which had affected his team and many talented players were deprived of competing at the international level.

He said the team had the services of international players and Commonwealth and US Open gold medallist Sadi Abbas, international gold medallist Baz Mohammad, national champion Naseer Ahmed, national gold medallist Ismail Khan, and the winners of gold medals in their respective weight categories — Ibrahim Khan and Jawad Israr-ul-Haq.

The coach disclosed that Pakistan had bright chances of winning medals in the female category wherein players like South Asian champion and medal winner Kalsoom, Qurat-ul-Ain, Naz Gul, Nargis and Shahida will vie for the top honor.

He added that the president of the Pakistan Karate Federation, Jehangir Khan, will act as manager of the team.

Published in Dawn September 22nd, 2016