Pak shooters leaving for Qatar in last effort to win Tokyo 2020 quota places

KARACHI: Top shooters of the country have left for Qatar in their last quest to win quota places for Tokyo 2020.

A group of 16 shooters is participating in the 14th Asian Championship, scheduled in Doha from November 3-13. “Some of them left on Saturday and a few on Sunday. And those playing shotgun events will leave in a day or two,” said an official of National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP).

He told ‘The News’ that this is the last event for Pakistani shooters before Tokyo Olympics to win quota places. The events shooters will play include 10-metre Air Rifle; 50-metre 3-position Rifle; 10-metre Air Pistol; 50-metre Pistol; 25-metre Rapid Fire Pistol; Trap; and Skeet.

“Those who have the potential to win quota places in this championship are G M Bashir, Hamza Khan, Usman Chand, Furrukh Nadeem, and Joseph Gulfam,” said the official.

It is pertinent to mention here that 931 athletes from 34 nations are going to take part in this championship. There are 38 Olympic quota places up for grabs in this event.