‘Inam can win Pakistan a medal in Asiad’

KARACHI: A senior official of Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) on Saturday said that he could not guarantee that the country’s premier wrestler Mohammad Inam would win gold in Asian Games but he could say that he is capable to claim a medal in the Asiad as he is in top form.

“I cannot guarantee that Inam would win gold in Asian Games but I can say that he can get silver or bronze. He is in great form and can do that,” the PWF secretary Arshad Sattar told ‘The News’.

“There would be very tough competition in his weight as world class wrestlers especially from Iran would be in his class,” the official said.

After claiming gold in the Commonwealth Games Inam has emerged as a hero of the country which hardly won one gold and four bronze in the biennial event in Australia last month. Because of minimum chance of a medal in the Asian Games the PWF has also decided to send small squad to Indonesia. “Inam and Mohammad Bilal would be in the squad while one or two more will be added to them. It is more likely that we will send three or four wrestlers to the Asian Games,” Arshad informed. The Asian Games would be held in Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2.

The PWF is also working on sending its cream abroad for a couple of months training ahead of the Asian Games.

“We are in contact with Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. We have already intimated the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) about our plans. If we get a nod from any target country then we will send our grapplers there for a couple of months training. We hope in one month time the things would be finalised,” the official said. He was quick to add that a foreign training tour would help Pakistani grapplers in the Asian Games.

“Its about training. The quality training boosts chances of an athlete,” he said. Arshad said that the PWF had been working hard for the growth of its athletes. “We are doing our best what we can do. Inam’s defence was weak but we worked on him and he is now much better in that area. He is now better than the wrestlers of India, Japan, Korea and China and can create some chance in the Asiad,” Arshad said.

Arshad said that young wrestler Inayatullah had been training in Uzbekistan. “We had sent him to Uzbekistan to feature in the Youth Olympic qualifiers (Asian Cadet Championships). He lost to Kazakhstan’s grappler and the Kazakh also qualified for the Youth Olympics. For bronze medal race Inayat defeated Mongolia but then lost to Japan,” Arshad said. Inayat had also lifted gold in the Beach World Championship cadet category in Turkey last year.

The 2018 Asian Games would be really a great challenge for Pakistan’s contingent as the country has failed so far to begin preparations in full swing for the continent’s biggest extravaganza. In 2014 Incheon Asian Games Pakistan had snared gold in women’s T20 cricket, silver in men’s hockey and bronze each in boxing, kabaddi and wushu.

There will be no T20 cricket this time and Pakistan had also won one bronze in Incheon edition through its boxer Mohammad Waseem who would also be absent as he has turned pro.

Wrestling camp had been in operation at the PSB Coaching Centre Lahore along with ju-jitsu and karate. The camps had been stopped by the PSB due to funding issues but a senior PSB official told The News on Saturday that the Board took its decision of stopping the camps for Asian Games back and the athletes could resume their preparations at the respective places.

“Yes we have taken our decision back for the sake of those athletes who are preparing for the Asian Games,” a PSB official said.