Commonwealth Games 2018

WAPDA chairman to lead Pakistan contingent

By our correspondent

KARACHI: WAPDA Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Muzammil Hussain has been nominated to serve as chef de mission of the 87-member Pakistan contingent which will feature in the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4-15.

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Friday said that a meeting was convened by Muzammil on Friday at the Committee Room of WAPDA House, Lahore, in which the arrangements for Pakistan’s participation in the quadrennial spectacle was thoroughly discussed.

The coordination plan during stay in Gold Coast and other related matters were discussed. “Gen Muzammil is a sports loving person and had been the head of Army sports for a long time,” POA said.

The secretaries of the participating sports federations, team managers and representatives of the PSB were also at the meeting.The chef de mission was briefed by the representatives of the federations about training of their athletes.POA secretary Khalid Mehmood gave a presentation about the work done by the national Olympic committee so far and shared important information related to the Commonwealth Games.

Syed Habib Shah, Deputy Director General (Technical) PSB, and Dr Waqar Ahmad, chairman of anti-doping organisation of Pakistan also gave presentations.The national contingent is to leave on March 31 from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, according to availability of flights.

Hockey and weightlifting teams will depart on March 27. The PSB is arranging their flights.The team welcome ceremony of Pakistan will take place on April 3. The Games, in which athletes from around 69 nations will participate, will be formally opened on April 4.

The closing ceremony will be held on April 15. The contingent will return on April 16 and 17. Muzammil thanked the POA chief Lt Gen (retd) Arif Hassan for honouring him to lead the contingent. Muzammil said he hoped Pakistan athletes would do their best in the competitions. Pakistan athletes will show their worth in 10 disciplines: hockey, squash, athletics, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, shooting, table tennis and boxing.