Five Pakistani athletes to compete at BRICS Games

LAHORE: Pakistan’s five athletes and one official will feature in the BRICS Sports Games which Russia is going to host in Kazan from June 12-23.

According to sources Amir Sohail (long racer), sprinters Shajar Abbas, Gohar Shahbaz and Abdul Moeed Baloch and Pakistan’s third best javelin thrower Abdul Qadeer Khan will be looking to pull off their best in the event.

Rana Sajjad will accompany the squad as coach. The BRICS Games feature 27 sports disciplines. As many as 4751 athletes from 60 nations will be showcasing their skills. The events will be conducted at 17 venues.

Athletics, in which Pakistan will also feature, will be conducted at the Central Stadium Kazan. Pakistan’s squad is currently undergoing training here at the Punjab Stadium. The squad will leave via Istanbul on June 11 and will reach Kazan in around 12 hours.

The country’s seasoned sprinter Shajar Abbas is expected to better his national record in 100 metre competition. He is a major athlete and also holds national records in both 100m and 200m. Abdul Moeed Baloch is also a talented sprinter and the Lyari boy is also expected to do his best.

It will be a testing tour for javelin thrower Qadeer KLhan who managed 71.50 metre throw in the National Championship in Attock early this year to show that he is also in way of becoming a major javelin thrower of the country. Gohar Shabaz is also a fine sprinter and he had also qualified for the semi-finals in the 100m in the Hangzhou Asian Games held last year.