Pakistan looks to weightlifting CW Games

ISLAMABAD: As dates (April 4-15) for XXI Commonwealth (CW) Games approach fast, Pakistan looks to weightlifters and wrestlers to earn the glory amid expected fierce competition at Gold Coast Australia.

A detail scrutiny conducted by The News on hopes and expectations from 87-member contingent leaving in a week time to Australia, weightlifting and wrestling look like the only two sports where Pakistan seems to be having chances of winning medals. The two traditional sports have been earning laurels for the country in recent past and the trend expected to continue even going into the Commonwealth Games.

Amjad Amin Butt, secretary Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) when contacted confirmed that each and every weightlifter competing for Pakistan in the event has good chances of winning medals. “Look when we see the weight they have been lifting in snatch and clean and jerk, we can easily say that every weightlifter has the potential to win medal in Gold Coast Commonwealth Games,” he said.

Those weightlifters having bright chances of making it to the victory stand and even have the capacity of winning gold medals include Mohammad Nooor Dastagir Butt (plus 105kg) and Talha Talib (62kg). “These two have the potential to win gold and would start favorite to earn laurels for the country. The two can repeat the feat achieved by Shujahuddin Malik in 2006 Commonwealth Games also held in Australia. Malik won gold in 85kg category and turned out to be the only Pakistan athletes to have achieved that distinction in 2006 event.”

Apart from the two, Abu Sufyan (69kg), Usman Amjad Rathore (94kg) and Abdullah Ghafoor (56kg) have got good chances of making inroads and winning medals in the process. “All five weightlifters have got bright chances of making Pakistan proud. They are training hard and as such have achieved a weight limit that could well earn them medals at Gold Coast,” federation secretary said.

Pakistan wrestling team these days are training and competing in Iran under the watchful eyes of expert trainers and coaches. There is no better athlete equipped with the talent and capacity of winning medal than that of Mohammad Inam-the world Beach Games gold medallist.

Inam who is to compete in 86kg wrestling event in past has proved his mettle time and again. Again he is ready to earn distinction. “No doubt he is a quality wrestler having all the chances of making his country proud in the Games. Mohammad Bilal (57kg) is not far behind. He is equally good and talented. It all depends on draws. Abdul Wahab, Mohammad Asad Butt, Umair Ahmad and Tayyab Raza also have chances of springing surprise,” Mohammad Arshad Sattar, secretary Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) said.

Shooting could well be another sport where a performance on the given day could well see a Pakistani marksman earning medal. Aamir Iqbal, Ghufran Adil and Mohammad Khalil Akhtar are capable of delivering on a given in shooting range. Athletics and hockey could well be biggest disappointments in the Games. Though Pakistan in recent past has never performed well in athletics, in hockey these Commonwealth Games could well be worst ever (performance wise). Hockey chances and expected plight in the Games need a separate analysis which would be done in days to come.