KARACHI: Tokyo-based two-time Olympian judoka Shah Hussain is deeply depressed by his knee injury does not know if he will be able to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics or not.
“Yes it's very tricky. I have been confused by knee injury and am taking rest as per the doctor's advice. I don't know what future has in store for me. I don't know whether I will be able to qualify for the next year's Olympics or not,” Shah told 'The News' in an interview from Tokyo.
“I had first time developed the knee injury before the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham last year. I hardly trained for two weeks and still got bronze medal. You might have seen that I had bandaged the whole leg in order to prevent the injury from aggravating further.
“I recovered after the Commonwealth Games and a few months ago I featured in the Qualifiers in Abu Dhabi, Perth and Baku. In Perth I did well and also enhanced my world rankings. I was hoping that it would go smoothly but again the same injury struck me recently during training in Japan and now it disturbs me.
“I will also miss the World Championship in Doha next month as I need complete rest but in the meanwhile my plan is to come to Pakistan and feature in the National Games which will not be a problem. And for that too I will have to run a bit and train a bit. After Eid I will try to start light training; let's see what happens.”
Shah added that he is facing three big issues at a time when the Paris Olympics are just 14 months away.
“The Paris Olympics are hardly 14 months away and at this stage I am facing the injury, training and financial problems. It's not easy to train in Japan while living away from your home. Scuba University which is my training zone is 200km away from my home in Tokyo and you have to live away from your family. If you go daily then it will cost you 50 dollars per day and it's too expensive,” said Shah, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallist.
“My main focus is on recovery and I am doing my best to recover soon and return to international circuit. I also think if for example I get recovered so how I will be able to feature in the Olympic Qualifiers. These thoughts hurt me a lot and I am confused. And here when you have not qualified for Olympics sponsors also don't come to support you. I had made to the Tokyo Olympics well before the Olympics and so I was getting sponsors but now the situation is not that easy and I don't what will happen.
Shah said that he would stick to his same Japanese doctor for his knee treatment and would not consult any other as he was satisfied with his treatment and advice. He said that he has no doubt about the intentions of Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF).
“PJF has always backed me and I will thank it for the love it has shown for me’’ Shah said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Shah qualified for these two Olympics on the basis of continental quota in the -100 kilogramme. However, after Tokyo Olympics he changed his weight category to -90kg in which he played in Birmingham Commonwealth Games and won bronze.
After missing a few events during the last few months Shah's ranking fell but he still has a load of qualifying events until June 2024.
Alam Zeb Safi Alam Zeb Safi is a senior reporter for The News