Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 45

Pakistani judoka Photo of the day continues his unusual quest for glory : ’s Japanese-raised judoka, Shah Hussain, will continue his unusual quest for glory when he tries to add Asian Games gold to Commonwealth silver in Incheon. Tokyo-based Hussain, the son of one of Pakistan’s most dis- tinguished athletes, hit the headlines when he won 100kg sil- ver at this year’s Commonwealth Games. Administrative chaos meant the 21-year-old nearly missed out on going to Glasgow. But his achievements there, along with his Japanese background, will give him an edge in Incheon. “Japan has world judo champions, Olympic medallists and all of them have supported him, gave him some good tips,” his father Hussain Shah told AFP by telephone from Tokyo. “So I am quite hopeful that he will show his talent in the Asian Games.” Hussain comes from distinguished stock after his father became Pakistan’s first Olympic boxing champion at in 1988, before departing to live in Japan. Ignoring advice from British former world champion Amir Khan to take up boxing, the young Hussain carved out success on the Japanese judo circuit. “I was always interested in judo and wanted to win medals and honours for my country, Pakistan,” said Hussain. But his wins went unnoticed in Pakistan and it took months of phone calls and lobbying from his father before officials finally agreed to pay for his trip to Glasgow. “I had to make several calls to Pakistan from Tokyo, plead- ed before the officials to send my son because I knew he has Acompetitor performs during the Red Bull Drop Track at Charlotte Pass in NSW, Australia the potential to be a world champion,” said Shah. “And after all this hue and cry Hussain finally made it and showed the world we were right.” Hussain beat Trinidad and Tobago’s Christopher George in the first round, Australia’s Duke Didier in the second and crushed New Zealand’s Tim Jordan upset UAE Slyfield in the semi-final. In the final, home hero Euan Burton proved too much for the youngster, flattening him 110-0. “I was ecstatic after win- ning the semi-final and wanted to win the gold but it was not INCHEON: United Arab Emirates to be,” said Hussain. His silver in Glasgow, one of just four slumped to a 1-0 Asian Games medals won by Pakistan, “breathed life” into the entire squad, defeat to Jordan yesterday as North according to Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) chief Arif Korea booked their place in the sec- Hasan. ond round of the football contest. “His silver medal is more than a victory, hearing our The Gulf side, silver medallists in anthem played at the ceremony was overwhelming,” he said. 2010, had hoped to reach the sec- “His feat... breathed life into our entire squad. Our whole con- ond round after their opening 5-0 tingent, even players from other sports, went crazy over this.” win over India, but Jordan took con- Now Hussain and Pakistan will hope for more success in trol from the start. Incheon, where he is competing with Asia’s finest including Jordan, playing their first game in some of his rivals from the elite Japanese circuit. —AFP Group G, went ahead when Yazan Thalji crossed from the left and UAE defender Mohammad Darwish bun- dled the ball into his own net. UAE forward Saeed Alkatheeri fired one shot that forced a full- stretch save by Mohammad Abunabhan in the Jordan goal. The UAE campaign became more des- perate however when defender Waleed Almazrouei was ordered off for two reckless yellow card tackles inside a minute. Jordan now need only a point from their final game in the three- nation group against India to guar- antee top spot and an easier sec- ond-round tie. North Korea beat Pakistan 2-0 to record a second straight win that ensures one of the top two places from Group F. Goals either side of half time by So Kyong-Jin and Jong Ing-Wan secured victory against a Pakistan side reduced to 10 men at halftime. So also scored in North Korea’s 3-0 win over China on Monday. Indonesia beat Maldives 4- 0 and progressed to the second GLASGOW: This file picture taken on July 26, 2014 shows round after also beating East Timor Scotland’s gold medalist Euan Burton (right) fighting 7-0 in Group E on Sunday. Hong Pakistan’s silver medalist Shah Hussain Shah in their Kong beat Afghanistan 2-1 in Group INCHEON: Jordan’s Sameer Raja Suleiman (left) vies for the ball with UAE’s Salim men’s 100kg judo final at the SECC Precinct during the B, while Kyrgyzstan drew 1-1 with Ali Ibrahim Hassan Alhamadi during the men’s football first round match of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. —AFP Iran in Group H.—AFP 2014 Asian Games. —AFP