faisal
ISLAMABAD: The 10-time former national champion and national female taekwondo coach Najia Rasool Khan has said that Pakistani martial art athletes were competent to qualify for the quadrennial mega sports fixture of the world Olympics Games if they would be imparted particular international standard training facilities back-to-back for two years till Paris Olympics 2024.
While talking to this reporter at Laiquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex here she further said that the top national taekwondo player Haroon Tareen was so close to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics but unfortunately he lost his bout in a fraction of seconds. “We have brilliant players like Haroon Tareen, Shahzeb Khan and Fatima Khawar and they are capable of bringing laurels for the country in the international competitions, “she added.
Najia, 30 from Muzaffargarh further divulged, “We have enough facilities but we need training camps in which players can develop their game skills. Taekwondo is the most admirable martial game in the country and young budding girls and boys are enthusiastic to excel at national and international level but they need appropriate guide-line, coaching and training. We have enough facilities in Pakistan that meet international needs and standards.”
To a question she said, “In past, when Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera was Director General of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) he provided enormous occasion to taekwondo players to excel at national and international level by holding the camps for players in a row at the different sports arenas of the country. We need honest efforts to uplift the standard of sports in the country and hoist the national green flag across the world, “she viewed.
Former martial art athlete Najia Khan, who won 4 silvers and 3 bronze medals, suggested that the joint efforts of sports federation and sports insinuations along with sponsorship might uplift the standard of sports. “There is no minor sponsorship in all the sports except cricket. A player’s basic requirements are diet, equipment and training, as these facilities need money without sponsorship no one can move ahead at international level. We should take genuine steps to achieve the targets, “she asserted.
Responding to another question, she said, “A coach needs to attend international coaching courses to reach the top level. At the present I am a level-II taekwondo coach and have attended six international coaching courses. We can increase the number of coaches by sending them abroad for courses or international representatives may be invited here for coaching lectures. In the ongoing modern area, the best and upgraded coaching facility is most important for the players, “she maintained.
It is pertinent to mention here that unmarried Najia Rasool Khan, 30, belongs to Muzaffargarh and she is solitary from her family, who likes sports and is honored with Pakistan's colour too. She started her sports’ career In 2006 and finished in 2021 after that she is working with Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) as female coach and willing to make another mark in the field of sports as a coach. When she started to participate in sports activities only her mother supported her and the rest of her 8 family members were not willing to see Najia Rasool Khan in sports arenas.
