Pakistan finalises a strong contingent for Birmingham Commonwealth Games
By our correspondent
LAHORE: A 103-member Pakistan’s contingent, carrying 73 players and 30 officials in 14 disciplines, will feature in the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8, it has been reliably learnt.
According to sources, the biggest squad will be of hockey which will carry 18 players and six officials while women cricket team will carry 15 players and five officials.
The two strong disciplines including weightlifting and wrestling will carry six players each and two officials each.
In wrestling and weightlifting Pakistan have the major chance of lifting medals.
Similarly four male and one female boxers will be accompanied by two male officials during the Games for which training camps have already been held.
Pakistan will be featuring in 14 disciplines in the quadrennial event. In athletics two male and two female athletes will feature and they will be accompanied by one male and one female official.
Pakistan will be represented in badminton by two male and two female shuttlers and they will be accompanied by one male and one female official.
It has been learnt that Olympian Shah Hussain and emerging Qaiser Afridi will be moving to Birmingham to represent Pakistan in judo in which the country had lifted silver in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games through Shah Hussain. One official will accompany the two judokas. There will be a six-member squash squad, which will carry two male and two female players and one male and one female official.
According to sources, the biggest squad will be of hockey which will carry 18 players and six officials while women cricket team will carry 15 players and five officials.
The two strong disciplines including weightlifting and wrestling will carry six players each and two officials each.
In wrestling and weightlifting Pakistan have the major chance of lifting medals.
Similarly four male and one female boxers will be accompanied by two male officials during the Games for which training camps have already been held.
Pakistan will be featuring in 14 disciplines in the quadrennial event. In athletics two male and two female athletes will feature and they will be accompanied by one male and one female official.
Pakistan will be represented in badminton by two male and two female shuttlers and they will be accompanied by one male and one female official.
It has been learnt that Olympian Shah Hussain and emerging Qaiser Afridi will be moving to Birmingham to represent Pakistan in judo in which the country had lifted silver in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games through Shah Hussain. One official will accompany the two judokas. There will be a six-member squash squad, which will carry two male and two female players and one male and one female official.
The strength of the other disciplines follows: swimming (2 male, 2 female swimmers, 2 officials), table tennis (one male player, one official), gymnastics (one male gymnast, one official), para athletics (1 male, one female athlete, one male official) and para table tennis (one female player, one male official).
It has been learnt that Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) would back only those athletes who have medal chances in these Games. A source told ‘The News’ that most of the federations are determined to meet their own expenses if there is an issue. It is pertinent to mention here that the boarding and lodging will be provided by the organisers free of cost during the Games and the participating nations will only manage their air-tickets.
Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) vice-president Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri Gillani will serve as chef de mission while Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Col (retd) Mohammad Asif Zaman and Pakistan Swimming Federation (PSF) chairman Major (retd) Majid Wasim will serve as deputy chef de missions. As per rules one deputy chef de mission will act as secretary contingent during the trip.
Dr Asad Abbas, Secretary CGA Pakistan Medical Commission, will perform duties of chief medical officer.
During a meeting of the POA with the officials of the federations whose athletes are set to feature in these Games, the NOC apprised the federations that the CGA Pakistan has completed the process of online accreditation for 14 sports disciplines including two para sports within the given timeline of March 18, 2022 by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee. The representatives of the concerned national federations of badminton, boxing, gymnastics, hockey, squash, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) attended the meeting on Monday.
The representatives of the concerned federations were requested to share the programmes of training camps of their athletes if already established or to be established by the PSB as well as intended travel plan with the CGA Pakistan so that the relevant actions and arrangements are taken immediately in coordination with the PSB well in time.
It has been learnt that Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) would back only those athletes who have medal chances in these Games. A source told ‘The News’ that most of the federations are determined to meet their own expenses if there is an issue. It is pertinent to mention here that the boarding and lodging will be provided by the organisers free of cost during the Games and the participating nations will only manage their air-tickets.
Pakistan Olympic Association’s (POA) vice-president Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri Gillani will serve as chef de mission while Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Col (retd) Mohammad Asif Zaman and Pakistan Swimming Federation (PSF) chairman Major (retd) Majid Wasim will serve as deputy chef de missions. As per rules one deputy chef de mission will act as secretary contingent during the trip.
Dr Asad Abbas, Secretary CGA Pakistan Medical Commission, will perform duties of chief medical officer.
During a meeting of the POA with the officials of the federations whose athletes are set to feature in these Games, the NOC apprised the federations that the CGA Pakistan has completed the process of online accreditation for 14 sports disciplines including two para sports within the given timeline of March 18, 2022 by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee. The representatives of the concerned national federations of badminton, boxing, gymnastics, hockey, squash, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) attended the meeting on Monday.
The representatives of the concerned federations were requested to share the programmes of training camps of their athletes if already established or to be established by the PSB as well as intended travel plan with the CGA Pakistan so that the relevant actions and arrangements are taken immediately in coordination with the PSB well in time.