Pakistan’s only Paralympian Haider departs for Paris

LAHORE: Pakistan’s lone representative at the upcoming Paris Paralympics, Haider Ali, left for the French capital on Monday, accompanied by his coach, Akbar Ali. The Paralympics will officially begin with the opening ceremony on Wednesday (today).

Haider, who hails from Gujranwala, will compete in the F37 category of the discus throw event on September 6. This will be his fifth appearance at the Paralympic Games. Haider made history at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, winning a gold medal in the discus throw with a 55.26-meter throw, becoming Pakistan’s first-ever Paralympic gold medalist.

His Paralympic journey began with a silver medal in the long jump at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, followed by a bronze in the same event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. An injury kept him out of the 2012 London Paralympics.

Yasir Pirzada, Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), expressed confidence in Haider’s potential to bring home another medal, stating, “We are honoured to send Haider Ali to the Paralympics once again. His exceptional talent and dedication make him a top contender for another medal, and we are confident that he will make Pakistan proud again.”