Four top taekwondo fighters to compete in Amman qualifiers

KARACHI: Eyeing Olympic berths four top national taekwondo fighters, accompanied by three officials, will fly out of Islamabad for Jordan on May 18 to feature in the Olympic Games Asian Qualifiers, slated to be held from May 19-23 in Amman.

The country’s premier fighter Haroon Khan (-58 kg), Taimur Saeed (+87 kg), Aneela Ayesha Asfar (-49 kg) and Zoya Sabir (-57 kg) are the fighters who will flex their muscles in the event. They will be accompanied by Omar Saeed (head delegate), Nadir Khan (coach) and Shahzada Muhammad Asif Khan (physiotherapist).

Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) said that it is managing the participation of the fighters through its own resources. “The federation with the cooperation of the Army Sports Directorate has established a national camp to prepare for this event,” it said.

“The camp had been started in December 2020 but closed on March 18, 2021, because of the third wave of Covid-19. However, on the request of the PTF, Army Sports Directorate granted permission to the Jordan-bound squad to undergo training at the facility from May 1 until their departure for Jordan,” it said.