Haider to represent Pakistan at Paralympics

KARACHI: The 2008 Beijing edition silver medallist Haider Ali will represent Pakistan in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games which will explode into action in Brazil on Thursday (today).

The Gujranwala athlete will show his mettle in the long jump on September 13 in Rio de Janeiro.

Haider is accompanied by his coach Akbar Ali Mughal and manager Amna, who is the Deputy Director Sports of National Paralympic Committee (NPC).

A senior official of the NPC said that Haider would better his performance he produced in Beijing eight years ago.

“I am very much confident that Haider will produce his career-best performance,” NPC secretary Imran Jamil Shami told ‘The News’ on Wednesday.

Pakistan fielded three athletes in the Rio Paralympics Qualifiers in Dubai in March this year. Haider and javelin thrower Awais qualified for Rio 2016. But Awais was unlucky not to proceed to Rio because Rio affair was missing his event.

The NPC official said that because of the financial issues Pakistan was fielding only one athlete.

“Till March this year we had no money to send our players for qualifiers,” Jamil said.

The three-member contingent which has reached Rio has been sponsored by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

“In April this year Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued orders under which paralympic was included in the subject allocation of the ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC),” added Jamil.

He said that the provincial governments should follow the central government, saying it would give a huge boost to the players with physical handicaps.

Haider, as per rules, is graded in FT-37 class. The muscles of Haider’s right leg are weak.

The Paralympics conclude on September 18.

Around 4,350 athletes from more than 160 countries are set to fight for top honours in 22 sports disciplines.  Around 1,650 are women who will be vying for top slots in 224 medal events.