Top 12 national athletes get Olympic scholarships

KARACHI: Olympian javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem and seasoned wrestler Mohammad Inam are among those 12 athletes who have been awarded Olympic scholarships by the IOC Olympic Solidarity.

"We feel pleasure to inform that considering the request, recommendation of the Pakistan Olympic Association, IOC Olympic Solidarity has very kindly awarded Olympic Scholarships to the following 12 athletes of Pakistan for training and preparation for the Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024," POA said in a press release on Friday.

The athletes who have been awarded scholarships include Arshad Nadeem (javelin thrower), Olympian badminton player Mahoor Shehzad,, swimmer Jehanara Nabi, table tennis player Perniya Zaman Khan, weightlifter Nooh Dastgir Butt, wrestlers Mohammad Inam and his cousin Mohammad Bilal and shooters Usman Chand, Gulfam Joseph, Anna Ibtisam, Kishmala Talat and Rasam Gull.

"This programme has been designed for the elite athletes who are training, and attempting to qualify, for the Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024. The Olympic scholarship will start on January 1, 2022, and will be divided into separate terms running for a four-month period each until August 31, 2024. Each athlete will be awarded a 650 US dollars per month scholarship for preparation of the Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024," POA said.

"Soon as the contracts, agreement of the scholarship are signed by the athletes and national federation, NOC Pakistan and Olympic Solidarity, the scholarship will be activated," it added.

The POA chief Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hasan congratulated and wished all athletes and respective National Federations, services and departments a very successful training and preparation venture to qualify for the Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024. He further appreciated the POA Secretariat for getting this job done well in time.

Asked why there are also a few female players in the list a POA official said that without maintaining gender equality such scholarships are not awarded then.

The official said the NOC had sought names from relevant federations which were then forwarded to the IOC.