Mahoor becomes first Pak Olympian shuttler

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top badminton player Mahoor Shahzad is set to create history when she becomes the first shuttler of the country to feature in the Olympics.

The Karachi-based player is set to meet Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the women’s singles Group L first fixture on Saturday (today). The game begins at 5:40am PST.

The Japanese is World No5 and it will be a hard nut to crack for the World No 146 to score some points against her.

Mahoor, five times national champion, is featuring in the Olympics on the basis of the IOC Tripartite Commission Invitation place.

She is one of the two players of Pakistan to have earned Olympics ticket on the IOC place.

The other is weightlifter Talha Talib who is set to compete in the 67 kilogramme weight category competition on Sunday (tomorrow).

On July 27, swimmer Haseeb Tariq will compete in the 100m freestyle competition. He has been drawn in heat-2.

On July 30, female swimmer Bisma Khan will feature in the 50m freestyle competition.

Both the swimmers are featuring on wild cards.

Female athlete Najma Parveen will compete in 200m on August 2.

Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem will feature in the qualifying round on August 4. The finals will be held on August 7.