Tokyo-bound shooters going to Germany for training

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top shooters who have won quota places for Tokyo 2020 will leave for Germany on Saturday for training.

“Khalil Akhtar, Ghulam Mustafa Bashir and Gulfam Joseph are leaving for Germany for two months’ training,” said Javaid Lodhi, executive vice-president of National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP), while talking to ‘The News’.

He added that the cost of this training was around Rs4.5 million, which was arranged by the association. “They will get one month training in Suhl, Germany, and then they will participate in the Olympic Games Test Event in Tokyo, Japan.

“After that they will resume their training in Germany for another month. And then they will play two world cups in June in Germany and Azerbaijan,” said Javaid. He added that after playing the world cups they would leave for Olympics. “We were expecting financial support from the government but sadly that did not happen,” said Javaid.

The NRAP official added that they had to arrange this training for their shooters before Olympics. Besides training, he added, participation in big events is very important for them. “We expect them to do well at Tokyo Olympics.

“We are making all out efforts to win a medal for Pakistan in Olympics,” he said, adding that the shooters have achieved quota places without any support from the government.