Arshad to train for three weeks in Turkey

KARACHI: Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) plans to send javelin thrower and the country’s Olympics medal hope Arshad Nadeem to Turkey for three weeks training.

The AFP has planned to field Arshad in an international event in Mashhad, Iran, next month and from there he will be sent to Turkey.

“We are working on this plan. His coach Viktor Yevsyukov of Kazakhstan also plans to move to Turkey and so we want to send Arshad there from Iran to undergo three-week training under him in Turkey,” AFP secretary Mohammad Zafar told ‘The News’.

Viktor’s services have been hired by the AFP for Arshad and currently the athlete is receiving online tips from the Kazakh. Arshad is undergoing training in Lahore under his coach Fayyaz Hussain Bukhari.

And this correspondent learnt that through whatsapp communication Viktor gives tips to Arshad.

It was also learnt that Viktor is happy with the way Fayyaz is imparting training to the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games bronze medallist.

The AFP had finalised Arshad’s training in Kazakhstan until this year’s Olympics in Tokyo but due to border restrictions because of Covid issues Arshad could not proceed.

Arshad is in the transition period of his training and will enter into a pre-competition phase next month.

He has also started throws.

“I am now in perfect fitness and in great rhythm,” Arshad told ‘The News’ from Lahore on Friday. “My training is going well. I have no issues as far as facilities are concerned. I am very happy that the AFP chief Major General (retd) Akram Sahi is taking care of me properly,” Arshad said.

His coach Fayyaz Bukhari, meanwhile, said that next month they would enter into pre-competition phase.

“Throws have already been started and next month we will inshaAllah enter into pre-competition phase. We have completely focused on our target and hopefully we will achieve what we have aimed to achieve,” Fayyaz said.

Sports Board Punjab on Friday imposed a ban on all sporting activities due to a fresh wave of coronavirus but Arshad will be exempted from those restrictions because of the Olympic cause.

He has been told that he can get the facilities inside the Punjab Stadium Lahore.

Arshad is staying at the PSB Coaching Centre Lahore which has all the requisite facilities at his disposal.

“Everything is going well and we are thankful to both the PSB and Sports Board Punjab for the way they are taking care of us,” Fayyaz said.

Fayyaz said that Iran’s tour would help Arshad to test his confidence. “It will be good if we go to Iran as the event will test Arshad’s confidence. And it will also help me as a coach to know where he stands,” the coach said.

Arshad is the only athlete in Pakistan’s athletics history who has qualified directly for the Tokyo Olympics. He did it through a superb 86.29 metre throw which he managed during the 13th South Asian Games in Nepal in late 2019.

Arshad was immediately sent to China for training but the Covid outbreak in Wuhan cut his trip short. Then he was put in a camp at Lahore but in late March 2020 it was closed due to countrywide lockdown. And it was only early this year that Arshad returned to proper training in Lahore for his Olympics cause.

His coach Fayyaz is managing drills for Arshad both in the day and night keeping in view his competition timing in Olympics.

Arshad’s qualifying rounds during the Olympics will be held on August 5 at 10am with the finals on August 8 at 8pm.