‘Each of our weightlifters to win a medal at SAG’

KARACHI: A senior official of Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) on Monday claimed that everyone of the weightlifters who are to be sent to Nepal for featuring in the 13th South Asian Games would win a medal.

“Despite financial issues we are working hard. I assure you that everyone of our lot will win medal if the 13th South Asian Games are held on time,” the official told ‘The News’ from Lahore.

Weightlifters will compete in seven weight categories in the South Asian Games. The official said that Pakistan has the ability to claim two gold, three silver and two bronze in SAG which Nepal is going to host at Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 1-10.

In the last South Asian Games, held in India, Pakistani weightlifters had claimed one gold, two silver, and four bronze medals. These days the mainstream weightlifters are out of camps. As there is almost no chance of any state-sponsored camp of any discipline ahead of National Games, weightlifters will have to work themselves to prepare for the Nepal challenge.

He even said that the departments have also not yet held their camps for National Games slated to be held in Peshawar from October 26 to November 1. The official also made it clear that because of financial issues the federation was not in a position to send any weightlifter to Thailand for the World Championships which started from August 18.

However, he was quick to add that effort would be made to ensure the participation of two weightlifters in the Asian Junior Championships slated to be held in Pyongyang from October 19-27.

Pyongyang will also host the Asian Youth Championships in the same dates but the PWF does not intend to field any rookie athlete there. “We don’t have any suitable boy for the youth event,” the official said.

He said that Pakistan is lucky to have enormous talent in weightlifting. Some new talent is also emerging which ensures a bright future for the country in the sport. The official, himself a former weightlifter, said that effort would be made to generate funds and seek the assistance of the Punjab government and corporate sector in future to groom the budding talent.