Pak Olympic contingent to proceed to Paris in small groups

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Olympics contingent will proceed to Paris in different small groups to represent the country in the Paris Olympics which will begin in France’s capital on July 26.

Counsellor Pakistan Embassy Paris Kashif Jameel will also join Pakistan’s contingent as Olympic Attache. Barring eventer Usman Khan, whose Olympics fate is yet to be decided, an 18-member contingent of Pakistan, including seven athletes and 11 officials, will move to Paris in different groups.

This correspondent has learnt that shooting squad, featuring shooters Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Jospeh Gulfam and Kishmala Talat, along with Russian coach Gennady Solodovnikov and official Col Junaid Ali, will move to Paris on July 18.

Swimmers Mohammad Ahmed Durrani and Jehanara Nabi and official Lt. Col (retd) Ahmed Ali Khan will also fly on July 18. Both the swimmers will feature in 200m freestyle. They are representing Pakistan on wild card.

Javelin thrower and world silver medallist Arshad Nadeem, sprinter Faiqa Riaz, who will feature on wild card, and coach Salman Butt, will proceed to France’s capital on July 24. The athletics squad will also be joined by England-based Dr Ali Sher Bajwa in Paris.

Before moving for Olympics Arshad is scheduled to feature in the Diamond League in Paris on July 7. However, he will return on July 8 before flying back to Paris on July 24. As many as four officials of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) will also be part of the contingent. They are chef de mission Mohammad Shafiq, deputy chef de mission Javed Lodhi, Dr Syed Meesaq Hussain Rizvi, and Admin Official Zainab Shoukat.

Chef de mission Mohammad Shafiq, who will be acting in the capacity for the first time in his career, will move to Paris on July 17. This correspondent understands that shooting squad will not attend the opening ceremony to be held on July 26 in Paris as they are staying in a town which is far away from the France capital.

Sources said that Arshad Nadeem, who is the sole Olympics hope, is likely to act as the flag-bearer of Pakistan contingent during the opening ceremony. Arshad will play his event on August 6. According to sources, POA president Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri Gilani and Secretary General Khalid Mehmood will also proceed to Paris before the opening ceremony.