Taekwondo body hopes Haroon will qualify for Olympics

KARACHI: Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) is working hard on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics sole prospect Haroon Khan (-58kg) with the hope that the Quetta-born fighter will be able to book a seat at the world’s most prestigious event.

“Yes, he is our main fighter and we are working hard to get him into the Olympics,” PTF president Col Waseem Ahmed told ‘The News’ from Rawalpindi on Wednesday. Haroon recorded a stunning win over European champion Mourad Laachraoui of Belgium in the round of 32 in the World Taekwondo Championship in Manchester Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 15 and 16 this year.

After beating Mourad, however, Haroon fell in the round of 16 when he went 9-10 down to the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist and two-time European champion Rui Braganca of Portugal.

Rui had won gold in the 2014 Baku and 2016 Montreux European Championships. Haroon had been sent to Korea for training ahead of the World Championships. Haroon, who won bronze medal at Al-Fajar International event, will have to compete for the Olympic slot in the Asian qualifying round which will be held from April 10 to 12, 2020, in eastern Chinese city Wuxi.

“We have the only chance in the Asian qualifiers and we are preparing Haroon for that,” Waseem said. “The gold and silver medallist in each weight will make it to the Olympics,” he said.

Shahzeb Khan (-54kg) and Haroon are the top fighters of Pakistan. But as per Olympic rules -54kg and -58kg have been combined. Keeping that in view, Pakistan is going to field its best seed Haroon in the event in China next year.

Haroon will be fielded in the King-Al-Hasan event, a G-1 event, to be held in Jordan from July 25-30, 2019. He will then be taken to Japan in August in order to witness the Tokyo Olympics venues for inspiration.

“Yes, the trip will inspire and motivate him. We will tell him that these are the venues for the Olympics and if you are able to earn a seat then you will play here,” Waseem said.

“He will then be kept in the camp with others in Pakistan. He will feature in the National Games and then in the South Asian Games,” the official added. “After SAG, effort will be made to send him for 25 days training to South Korea ahead of the Asian qualifiers,” Waseem said.

He added that Pakistan had the chance to win at least five gold medals at SAG in taekwondo. “We hope to earn five gold medals. In the 2016 edition in India, we claimed two but this time we have better prospects,” Waseem said.

The PTF has invited England-based fighter Aneela Ayesha and US-based Nirma Wasiq for the National Games. “If they want to feature in SAG they will have to appear in National Games. It’s compulsory,” Waseem said.

The PTF is the only federation of Pakistan which has provided ample exposure to its fighters in the last few years. “Since January 2019 we have sent 14 to 16 teams abroad and all through sponsors,” Waseem claimed.