Fayyaz believes Yasir can qualify for Olympics

LAHORE: Pakistan’s javelin throw coach Fayyaz Hussain Bukhari on Monday reiterated that the country’s No2 Mohammad Yasir Sultan has every chance of qualifying for the Paris Olympics if fully backed by the authorities.

“Yes, Yasir has hundred percent chance of qualifying for the Paris Olympics,” Bukhari told ‘The News’ here in an interview. “We will have to start training from now and for this I shall need the support of top authorities. If we put our heads together and make a plan and start working on the project then I am sure we will achieve the target. Unless all relevant stakeholders cooperate it will be difficult to achieve the target of seeing Yasir in the Olympics,” Bukhari said.

Yasir the other day managed a throw of 76.92m in Attock to win his first gold in the National Championship. His WAPDA teammate and the world silver medallist Arshad Nadeem was not featuring in the event due to an injury.

Yasir shot to fame when he snared a bronze in the Asian Championship in Bangkok last summer with a throw of 79.93 metre, an effort which captured the attention of the top authorities.

However, he later failed to deliver in the Asian Games, finishing fourth with a throw of 78.13m as he sustained an elbow injury in his second throw which also dented his performance in the Asian Throwing Championship in October in South Korea.

However, he overcame his injury and got gold by managing a fine throw of 76.92m in his sixth and final attempt in Attock. “When we went to Hangzhou for the Asian Games, Yasir was fit but he developed an injury in his second throw when he went through the air and got unfit severely by developing fracture in his elbow. Although it was not that serious, a joint fracture is always dangerous. He is young and recovered fast. After recovering he went to the Asian Throwing Championship in Korea but there I was not accompanying him and I guess his motivation level was not high,” Bukhari said.

“Before going for the Asian Championship we had gained our strength. We focused on our throw and recently in the national event we achieved around 77m throw. This throw comes in the 80m bloc as it can be even 80m plus. Yasir will have to be extra-serious if he is to achieve his goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics,” Bukhari said.

Asked why Pakistan’s javelin throwers’ growth is slower than India’s, Bukhari said they are more disciplined. “India has much better standard than us and the way they are working is absolutely fine,” Bukhari said. “After the Hangzhou Asian Games India’s javelin throwers did not go to their homes but they are training. When we returned from Asian Games for a few days the things remained closed but when WAPDA began their camp we started training. In India they make coordinated efforts. Here we get the things in patches,” Bukhari said.

He said that he met with the Athletics Federation of Pakistan’s (AFP) chairman Major General (retd) Mohammad Akram Sahi in the national event in Attock and he also congratulated him and Yasir on claiming gold.

“General sahib was happy and he told us to keep working like this,” Bukhari said. He said that they have made javelin throw environment in Pakistan. “During the national event in Attock recently, everyone came out of his barrack and witnessed the javelin event and it seemed that it was the biggest event of the world,” Bukhari said.