ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT ONLINE/APP): The Pakistan Olympic Association
(POA) have blocked country’s chances of winning medals in judo in
the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG) as it has barred the national
judokas from participating in the extravaganza.
Talking to APP, Khalid Mehmood, Secretary, POA, said Judo has
not been included in the contingent of ISG scheduled to be held in
Azerbaijan in May because Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) had sent
them late entries of the national judokas.
“The accreditation date for ISG expired on February 16 and PJF
had sent us entries after the given date,” he said.
However an official close to ISG developments said PJF had
sent entries to POA on January 10 but POA did not reply to PJF,
therefore PJF resent the entries to POA on March 29.
“On April 17 POA sent a letter to PJF stating the matter is
being examined by their Senior Legal Advisor for further action. POA
however, said that the accreditation date for ISG expired on
February 16, hence it was not possible to accommodate PJF’s request
at this stage,” POA wrote in a reply to PJF.
He said POA had also approached national judokas to send in
their individual entries for participation in ISG. “But judokas
refused to send individual entries as it is not precedent in the
world that athletes are sent for participation in international
competitions without consent of the federation,” he said.
Despite having laudable performances for the country in
international arena, POA have excluded national judokas from ISG
national contingent.
Pakistani Olympian Judoka Shah Hussain Shah (-100kg) had won
Silver Medal in Common Wealth Games 2014. He twice remained Asian
Bronze Medalist in 2013 and 2014 and South Asian Gold Medalist in
2015 and 2016. Similarly, Judoka Qaisar Khan (-81kg) qualified for
the quarter final in Grand Slam, Tokyo 2016 and was the bronze
medalist of the South Asian Games 2016.