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Thursday March 28, 2024

Pakistan to field five athletes in Asian Athletics

KARACHI: Pakistan will be fielding five athletes in the 21st Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in Wuhan, China, from June 3 to 7.A top official of Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) on Saturday said that three athletes including sprinter Liaquat Ali, 800m specialist Mohammad Ikram and hammer thrower

By Alam Zeb Safi
May 24, 2015
KARACHI: Pakistan will be fielding five athletes in the 21st Asian Athletics Championships which will be held in Wuhan, China, from June 3 to 7.
A top official of Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) on Saturday said that three athletes including sprinter Liaquat Ali, 800m specialist Mohammad Ikram and hammer thrower Shakeel Ahmed have already been sent to China.
“We have sent these three athletes along with coach Asghar Ali Gill to Wuhan last Thursday. We had requested the Chinese Athletics Association that we want to send some of our athletes a few days before the Asian Championships so that they could undergo training there. They accepted our request and we sent them,” AFP secretary Mohammad Zafar told ‘The News’ from Lahore on Saturday.
However, he said that the remaining two athletes including long jumper Maryam Babar and 110m hurdler Mohammad Sajjad would fly from Islamabad for China on June 1.
All the five athletes have recently lifted gold medals in their respective events in the National Athletics Championship in Islamabad.
Liaquat (Army), Sajjad (PAF) and Maryam Babar (WAPDA) are the most experienced athletes who have been playing since long in international circuit.
Liaquat, who also featured in the 2012 London Olympics along with Rabia Ashiq, has enormously improved. In the recently held national event in the federal capital, Liaquat smashed the 200m national record previously held by his coach Masood Ahmed by clocking 20.65 seconds of timing. He surpassed his coach by only 15 micro-seconds.
Liaquat lacked mental toughness when he was seen in London Olympics. But Zafar said he was very confident before leaving for China for the continental event.
“I met him before his departure for China and I found him very confident,” Zafar said.
Zafar expects good timings from his athletes.
“I expect good timings from them. They have worked hard in the camp and I wish them all the best,” Zafar hoped.
“In 2013 Asian Championships in Pune our athletes had done well and improved their timings,” Zafar recalled.
He said the top performers of the national event have been picked for the Wuhan assignment.
In the China competitions, as many as 1000 athletes from 45 countries will be showcasing their talent.
The slots also serve as qualifiers for the World Championships to be hosted by China in Beijing from August 22-30.
The Wuhan spectacle will be conducted on the world’s leading Mondo synthetic track.
The AFP has set up a camp in Islamabad in which 55 to 60 athletes have been undergoing training under a dozen coaches.
“Both seniors and juniors are in the camp which is being run to prepare them for future challenges,” Zafar informed.
A few days ago promising athlete Mohammad Afzal of Army created a ripple in Pakistan’s athletics circle when he won gold medal in the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Doha.
It was the first time in the history of Pakistan that an athlete won gold at this level.
The AFP is trying to send him abroad for training in order to polish the youngster.
“During Doha event when Afzal struck a gold the president of Asian Athletics Association (AAA) told us that Afzal would be provided with training opportunity abroad,” Zafar revealed.
“We have also requested the international athletics governing body (IAAF) and hopefully Afzal would be sent abroad,” Zafar said.