Karim to represent Pakistan as Mia pulls out

ISLAMABAD: Mia Nuriah Freudweiler, one of the direct qualifiers for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, has pulled out of the event leaving Mohammad Karim as the lone Pakistani athlete to compete in the mega event.

The Games are set to be held in Beijing from February 4-20. ‘The News’ has learnt from well-placed sources that a four-member Pakistan contingent will participate in the Winter Olympics following the withdrawal of lady skier Mia Nuriah Freudweiler.

The Switzerland-based Pakistan athlete was one of the direct qualifiers and was scheduled to participate in the slalom and giant slalom.

“We are not sure as to why she has pulled out of the Games. She was confident of participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics,” an official told ‘The News’. “We are still waiting for the reasons,” he said.

The official said that since she has qualified directly, she could well be accommodated in case she reconsidered her decision.

Karim now remains the only Pakistan athlete to compete in the Games. Karim will be accompanied by his coach while there will be all in one official who will be liaison/treasure/Covid-19 officer. Air Marshal Noman Ali will be Chef de Mission of the contingent. Karim will compete in the slalom and giant slalom.

Maqsood Alam and Nazir Shah came close to qualifying for the Games and missed the cut at the last hurdle.

The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has already decided to compete in the Games with full force despite a US led boycott.

The US government announced a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) came hard on the decision in a recent statement. “The presence of government officials and diplomats is a purely political decision for each government, which the IOC in its political neutrality fully respects. At the same time, this announcement also makes it clear that the Olympic Games and the participation of the athletes are beyond politics and we welcome this,” IOC said.

The support for the athletes and the Olympic Games has been expressed multiple times in the recent months, most recently by the United Nations resolution entitled.”