Asif pin hopes on athletes to win medals in CWG

KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Col (retd) Mohammad Asif Zaman on Saturday hoped that national athletes will deliver during the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8.

“We provided every kind of facility to our athletes to prepare for the quadrennial event and I am very much confident that they will live up to the expectations,” Asif told 'The News' in an interview from Islamabad.

“Pakistan has a good chance of medals in wrestling, weightlifting, judo and athletics. Our front-line javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who is doing well these days in the World Championship in the US, will also be our top medal hope in England,” said Asif, also a former Asian junior squash champion.

“I am also quite confident that we may spring some major surprises in squash, hockey, and women's cricket which will be making its debut in the Birmingham Games,” he said.

Asif will accompany the Pakistan's contingent during the Birmingham Games as deputy chef de mission. He will fly out of Islamabad for Birmingham on July 25 and will return after a week-long stay at Birmingham.

“Look, we always try to back our athletes within our resources. We also provided foreign coaches to some federations and enhanced the daily allowances of the athletes.

There is still room in further giving relief to the athletes and in future we will further boost their daily allowances,” Asif said.

He said that the Board's prime aim was to give exposure to the leading pool in various sports disciplines in such major events.

“It was the principal stance of the PSB and we are backing potential medal winners and those who have been also looked after properly during their preparatory phase,” Asif said.

Meanwhile a PSB press release said on Saturday that Pakistan's contingent will feature in 13 disciplines in Birmingham Games including swimming, athletics, para-athletics, boxing, badminton, gymnastics, hockey, judo, squash, table Tennis, weightlifting, women cricket and wrestling.

The Board said that the federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Ehsan-Ur-Rehman Mazari will also be part of the contingent to represent the country in the Commonwealth Inter-Ministerial meeting.

“The POA vice-president Syed Muhammad Abid Qadri Gillani will serve as chef de mission while DG PSB Col (retd) Mohammad Asif Zaman will serve as deputy chef de mission,” the PSB said.