By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Thursday announced a 40-member national contingent to compete in the upcoming 6th Asian Beach Games scheduled to take place in the coastal city of Sanya, China, from April 22-30.
The squad, comprising 34 athletes and coaches alongside six officials, will represent the South Asian nation across six sporting disciplines: athletics, handball, ju-jitsu, kabaddi, triathlon and wrestling.
The announcement follows a coordinated effort between the Government of Pakistan and national sports federations to ensure international exposure for the country’s top beach sports talent.
“The participation reflects the continued commitment of the Government of Pakistan, National Sports Federations, and the POA to promoting excellence in sport,” the POA said in a statement.
Pakistan’s strongest medal prospects traditionally lie in wrestling and kabaddi. The wrestling squad is headlined by veteran and former world champion Muhammad Inam, a multi-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist and a dominant force in world beach wrestling. He is joined by Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Asad Ullah and Muhammad Gulzar.
The handball team forms the largest chunk of the contingent, with ten athletes including Mudassar Shahzad and Kashif Ali under the guidance of coach Azhar Ul Haq.
The kabaddi squad features six players while the athletics team will see Faiqa Riaz and Tameen Khan leading the charge on the sand.
In a push for sporting diversification, Pakistan is also fielding a triathlon duo, Hamza Asif and Ayesha Waqas.
The administrative side of the contingent includes Press Attaché Muhammad Abubakar Ali and medical support staff to assist the athletes during the multi-sport event in Sanya.
The Asian Beach Games, organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), were originally postponed due to the pandemic but have returned to the sporting calendar as a key continental fixture. The POA expressed confidence that the athletes would “uphold the country’s sporting spirit and values” on the international stage.
Athletics: Faiqa Riaz, Tameen Khan, Sami Ullah (all athletes), Rafique Ahmed (coach);
Handball: Mudassar Shahzad, Kashif Ali, Asif Ali (S), Asif Ali (J), Imran Khan, Hazrat Hussain, Muhammad Shahid Bashir, Muaaz Ali, Ahmad Hassan Baig, Muhammad Saim (all players), Azhar Ul Haq (coach);
Ju-Jitsu: Shahzaib, Ambreen Tariq, Liaqat Ali (coach);
Kabaddi: Kashif Razzaq, Farhan Ali, Usman Ahmad, Muhammad Zohaib Niaz, Muhammad Jamshaid, Waqar Ali (all players), Rahat Maqsood Ali, Badshah Gul (both coaches):
Triathlon: Hamza Asif, Ayesha Waqas (both athletes), Abdul Ghaffar Gujjar (coach):
Wrestling: Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Asad Ullah, Muhammad Inam, Muhammad Gulzar (all wrestlers), Naveed Afzal (official):
Officials: Muhammad Abubakar Ali (POA, Press Attache), Imran Ahmad Khan (HQ official, POA), Sana Ali (HQ official, POA), Mian Qasim Rehman (Doctor, POA), Muhammad Hashim (physiotherapist, POA), Muqeet Asim Muhammad Shah (NOC Attache, Pak embassy)
