TBILISI (The Thursday Times) — Hunza ki 24 saala Maliha Ali ne IMMAF World Championships mein Russia ki do martaba ki European champion Veronika Drozdova ko shikast de kar amateur mixed martial arts ke sab se bare event ke quarter-finals mein jagah bana li.
Maliha ne Mangal ko Georgia mein hone wale featherweight (65.8kg) muqable mein split decision se kamyabi hasil ki. Un ki hareef 19 saala khilari thi, jo 60 se zyada athletes par mushtamil Russian team ka hissa hai. Maliha ne Pakistani parcham kandhon par lapete hue sajde mein jashn manaya. Unhon ne pehle do raund apne naam kiye, pehle Drozdova ko cage ke saath laga kar dabaye rakha aur phir takedown ke baad full mount se bhari war kiye. Teesre raund mein woh thak gayin, jo Russian khilari ke naam raha, lekin woh kafi kar chuki thin.
"Hum ne apni hareef ke game plan par kaam kiya, yeh dekha ke woh kaise larti hai, aur apni strategy par amal kiya," unhon ne kaha. "Aur shukr hai ke yeh kaargar sabit hua."
Angola se aik plan
Maliha, jo wushu champion aur qaumi kickboxing mein sone ka tamgha jeetne wali bhi hain, is saal Angola mein IMMAF World Cup se chandi ka tamgha le kar Tbilisi pahunchin. Pakistan MMA Federation ne phir chhe hafte ka camp lagaya aur wahan nazar aane wali kamzoriyon ko door karne ke liye bain-ul-aqwami jiu-jitsu aur grappling coach ko bulaya.
"Hum taqreeban kuch nahin se aaye hain; hamare paas sirf hamara azm aur kamyab hone ki khwahish hai," federation ke Sadr Omar Ahmed ne kaha, jinhon ne Pakistan ko aise event mein sab se kam wasail wali teams mein se aik qaraar diya jahan Russia ke paas sab se zyada funding wale programmes mein se aik hai.
Judwan behnein, aik hi din
Maliha ka quarter-final Budh ko Mexico ki Andrea Gabriela Guzman Salazar se tai tha. Un ki judwan behan Manesha, jinhon ne is saal Luanda mein World Cup mein sona jeeta, ko usi din Poland ki Martyna Caruk se muqabla karna tha. Khabar likhe jane ke waqt tak nateeje samne nahin aaye thay.
Championships 7 November tak jari hain, jin mein 881 athletes aalami titles ke liye muqabla kar rahe hain.
