Najma’s SAG performance impresses Sahi

KARACHI: The country’s leading female athlete Najma Parveen’s excellent performance in the 13th South Asian Games has impressed the president of Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) Maj Gen Akram Sahi.

“Yes, I have been really impressed by the way she competed in 400 metre hurdles,” Sahi told ‘The News’ on Friday. Najma won gold in 400m hurdles in Nepal. Although hurdles is not her strong area as she is basically a sprinter her department WAPDA has started fielding her in 400m hurdles in national events.

Sahi wants her to improve her skills in hurdles. “I have told my coaches to work with her as she has potential and can compete in hurdles also at international level,” Sahi said.

Najma has been outstanding during the last few months. She grabbed as many as six gold medals at the National Games in Peshawar. In Nepal SAG, she also secured silver medal in 200m. Then, she was also part of the 4x400m Pakistan’s silver medallist relay team.

She was also part of Pakistan’s bronze medallist 4x100m relay side. Najma was part of Pakistan’s contingent in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sahi said that she could be more productive in future international events if she was prepared well. “She is in superb form these days,” he said.

About javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, Sahi revealed that he would go to China on January 10 to undergo training in Shanghai. “He is among five athletes who are to train in Shanghai for two months. Four athletes will proceed to China on December 27 but Arshad will go on January 10 because of some domestic issues,” said Sahi, also a former international athlete.

He said that the AFP would try its best to manage a foreign coach for training Arshad after Shanghai training. Arshad qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when he managed a throw of 86.29m at the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal.