Conclusion of Emad Championship for Table-tennis [Archives:1997/39/Sports]
Dr. Abdo Shayif Salem; Yemeni Champion in Judo & Karate By Anwar Maghram *
Youth House witnessed championship of ping-pong matches in which a great number of players participated belonging to various clubs in the capital Sana’a. The activities were financed by the Yemeni Oplymic Committee and Al Ahli club. It is to be noted that El-Emad was regarded one of the champions in playing the game and has gained many medals. He died last January and he was in his prime youth of life and not more than 21 years of age. In memory to his activities, this match was held.
Dr. Shayif is one of the prominent athletic figures and well known for his activities and participation’s abroad and in the country. He has a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in veterinary medicine from Pakistan. He has been trained in martial arts by the Japanese Zetokreta. As a young man Dr. Shayif practiced his hobby of martial arts within the activities organized at the Ministry of Education in Sana’a. Q: Has any offcicial organ granted you any kind of help to improve your performance in this sort of activity? A: The only help came from Japan to qualify us technically and scientifically on the methods of performing this game through training courses in Japan.
Q: How have you involved yourself in this activity in Pakistan? A: At the end of seventies, I traveled to Pakistan and got involved in the Punjab Judo team under the weight of 86 and got a number of championships in Punjab. I didn’t face any difficulties regarding the game and the Pakistanis are really friendly.
Q: Have you participated in introducing judo to certain institutions? A: I can say that I am the first to introduce this game to the university sports activities. I won a number of championships at the university. In 1986-1987, I became a trainer of Punjab team and a member of the Judo Association in Punjab and at the same time a president of the committee of judges. I have the honor to say that I participated in training the Pakistani police in the region together with the military team for more than five years. I also worked in the framework of a committee of organizers and supervisors to spread the judo game in the other regions. I successfully participated in traing more than 100 Pakistani girls.
Q: Have you any medals? A: Yes, I have been granted the international medal for refereeship in 1992 from New Delhi, rank-B in judo.
Q: When and where have you started practicing karate? A: I have started practicing this game in Taiz in 1975 under the guidance of the trainers Ahmad Imam and Abdul Hamid Mansoor.
Q: What are your contributions and activities regarding karate? A: I played for the Lahore team and got the first rank in Punjab in karate and received the black belt of second rank. My participation covered nearly all the regions in Pakistan.
Q: Why have you been given such chances in Pakistan and not in our country? What is your position now in Yemen? A: As I have mentioned these games have not received any attention in Yemen. There is not much awareness of their importance. Durimg 1979-1980, I was an assistant trainer of taekwondo for Al-Ahli club of Sana’a. I was training under the guidance of the trainer Salem Al-Baidhani who was the first to bring this game to Yemen. Now, I am back home to participate and develop all these games. To tell the truth, the Minister of Youth and Sports is quite concerned for the status of sports in Yemen. So he appointed me as a judo trainer of youth and junior teams. At the same time, I am the head of the referee committee of judo
Q: How do you see the future of such games in Yemen? A: If there is concern and encouragement, the performance will be much better. Such games require training, experience, techniques, skills and competence.
Q: Have you made any suggestions to the relevant ministries to develop such activities? A: Yes, I have presented suggestions for expanding and spreading judo among juniors and the youth and to cover the female sector as well as the military sector. I suggested to make it part of school curricula. The Ministry of Youth and Sport should play a larger role in introducing these sports to the Yemeni young men and women. Sports clubs also have a big role to play in this respect.
Q: What are your future projects? A: I have no personal project. I try to spread these games all over Yemen, and I’ll exert efforts working on the programs that improve performance of the games. What we need is only boosting from concerned bodies. ý
Q: How do you advise young people wishing to learn judo and karate? A: First, they must no think of these games as means of aggression. They are primarily for self defense. They must also be patient and respect the rules and ethics of the games. Anwar Maghram is a trainee in Yemen Times. Graduated from department of sociology Sana’a University.
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