Inam training ‘hard’ for Asian Games

KARACHI: The country’s premier wrestler Mohammad Inam has said that he is working hard to live up to the expectations in the Asian Games slated to be held in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2.

“As an individual I am working hard and aim to put in my best in the Asian Games,” the two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist told ‘The News’ on Monday.

The beach wrestling world champion is training at Lahore with teammates for the Asiad in which wrestling event would be the toughest one as the world’s leading grapplers belong to the Asian belt.

Inam knows that. “Yes, there is no doubt it’s a tough event because of the presence of world’s leading wrestlers. But draws play an important role. If draws are good then Pakistan can win medals,” said Inam, who recently received a handsome purse of Rs5 million for winning gold in the Commonwealth Games in Australia in the 86 kg competitions.

Inam, with his brother Mohammad Bilal, is expected to tour Canada to feature in the Canada Cup which will begin at the end of this week.

A senior official of Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) told ‘The News’ on Monday that the touring party was expected to get Canada visas in a couple of days.

Inam said the Canada trip would help him know his standing. “It will be an important tour as it will help me know where I stand,” the grappler from Gujranwala said.

The PWF has filed a case with the PSB for a Ukraine tour for its wrestlers ahead of the Asian Games but the Board is yet to give any response to the federation.

Inam said if a foreign tour after Canada Cup was arranged it would boost Pakistan’s medal chances in the Asian Games. “It would be a great boost to our preparation. In Canada, we would learn what our weak points are and if we got a tour of Ukraine it would help us work on those weak points. It would be great,” Inam said. Pakistan is expected to field four or five wrestlers in the Asian Games.