Commonwealth Games begin from April 4: Pakistan yet to decide flag-bearer

KARACHI: Pakistan is yet to decide about its flag-bearer for the 21st Commonwealth Games which will begin at Gold Coast, Australia, on April 4.

“It will be decided in a couple of days. As per rules we have to pass on the name to the organisers just a couple of days before the opening ceremony,” an official of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) told ‘The News’ on Wednesday.

“There will be a short meeting in Gold Coast in which the name for the purpose will be decided,” the official said.It is expected that the flag-bearer will be from among the weightlifters who have already reached Queensland.

They have solid credentials, having won medals at various levels in the Commonwealth Championships. The POA will have to dig the name out as there is no big name in the touring party who could be named as the flag-bearer for the Games in which Pakistan is fielding an 87-member contingent.

Pakistan is also featuring in the hockey event but it is highly unlikely that from there any one will be picked for the purpose because of their low achievements during the last few years.

Mohammad Inam, the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medallist, could have been the flag-bearer but the wrestling party is scheduled to proceed to Gold Coast on April 7.India has already announced that 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist shuttler PV Sindhu would be its flag-bearer for the quadrennial event which will conclude on April 15.

Pakistan’s veteran wrestler Azhar Hussain was the flag-bearer in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.Azhar had clinched a gold medal and one silver in 2010.

In Glasgow, Pakistan won three silver medal and one bronze, but those winners are not part of the country’s touring party this time. The country’s prolific boxer Mohammad Waseem, Japan-based judoka Shah Hussain and wrestler Qamar Abbas had claimed silver medals in Glasgow while Azhar had secured bronze.