Pakistan can win medals in Paris Olympics 2024: Dr Tariq Gujar

KARACHI: A couple of Pakistan’s athletes have the skills to reach the victory stand and win medals for Pakistan, Dr Tariq Ali Gujar, a former national and international athlete and PHD in sports science from Germany said.

While talking to The News, Gujar said that some athletes are expected to deliver strong performances based on their previous records and achievements at international level competitions.

He said that the most favourite is Arshad Nadeem, who will compete in the men’s javelin throw. He has already etched his name in the annals of Pakistani sports history as the first Pakistani to qualify for the final in any track and field event at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships. Nadeem set a new national and Commonwealth Games record with a throw of 90.18m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first South Asian athlete to breach the 90m mark.

In 2023, he won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships, marking another historic achievement for Pakistan. He was of view that in shooting, “we can also hope that Pakistani shooters will perform well”.

He said that Gulfam Joseph will compete in the Men’s 10 m air pistol and the 10-meter air pistol team event. Ghulam Mustafa Bashir will participate in the Men’s 25 m rapid-fire pistol event. Bashir represented Pakistan at the 2016 Rio Olympics, securing 18th position, and improved to 10th at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, Bashir won a bronze medal in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event at the World Shooting Championship.

Kishmala Talat will represent Pakistan in the Women’s 10 m air pistol, Women’s 25 m pistol, and the 10-meter air pistol team event, showcasing her prowess in multiple shooting disciplines.

In other events Pakistani athletes are hoping that they will improve their own records but reaching the victory podium will be a difficult task for them. In swimming, Muhammad Ahmed Durrani will compete in the Men’s 200 m freestyle, while Jehanara Nabi will participate in the Women’s 200 m freestyle. Faiqa Riaz will participate in the women’s 100-meter sprint to make her mark on the international stage.