Pakistan had solid stints in wrestling in the Asian Games in the first three decades of the quadrennial extravaganza. Pakistan last got medals in the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. And since then the nation has been struggling to return to the medal fold in the continent’s biggest event.

Before discussing the country’s chances in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou later this summer it would be important to narrate Pakistan’s achievements in wrestling until the 1986 Asian Games.

After missing the 1951 Delhi Asian Games in which just eight nations took part, Pakistan had a smart debut in wrestling in the 1954 Manila Asian Games. Din Mohammad was the first wrestler of the country who won gold for Pakistan in the flyweight category. Abdur Rasheed claimed silver in the welterweight division while Mohammad Amin (bantam weight) and Mohammad Ashraf (lightweight) got bronze medals.

In the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games Pakistan won three silvers through Mohammad Akhtar, Siraj Uddin and Mohammad Nazir and two bronze through Siraj Uddin and Mohammad Bashir.

In the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games wrestling had a super run for Pakistan as the country lifted three gold, seven silver and four bronze medals. Faiz Mohammad, Mohammad Niaz and Mohammad Saeed clinched golds. Siraj Uddin claimed one silver in freestyle and one in Greco Roman and Mohammad Akhtar also completed the double by taking one silver each in freestyle and Greco Roman and Mohammad Bashir also emerged as runner-up in the welterweight freestyle and Greco Roman. Mohammad Saeed won the seventh silver which Pakistan lifted in the heavyweight. Ghulam Rasool took bronze medals in both the freestyle and Greco Roman.

The other two bronze came through Captain Faiz Mohammad and Mohammad Niaz in the middleweight Greco Roman and light heavyweight freestyle.

In the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games, Mohammad Bashir won gold in the welterweight division while Mohammad Saeed snared silver in the heavyweight category.

In the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games, Pakistani wrestlers Sardar Mohammad (bantamweight) and Naib Subedar Maroof Khan (super heavyweight) claimed bronze medals.

In the 1974 Tehran Asian Games, Subedar Maroof Khan clinched bronze in the super heavyweight.

In the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, Pakistan won one silver and three bronze. Mohammad Azeem won silver in the 57kg while Abdul Waheed (62kg), Salah Uddin (100kg) and Javed Iqbal (+100kg) won bronze each.

In the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, Pakistan won one gold and it was Abdul Majeed who snared it in the 90kg and lifted silver in 100kg through Shahid Butt.

Now we come to Pakistan’s future chances and its participation in the Hangzhou Asian Games wrestling event. The country will field four wrestlers in the Hangzhou event. They are Mohammad Bilal, Inayatullah, Zaman Anwar and Haider Ali who earned China tickets after they conquered their opponents in the trials conducted at Lahore ‘s Punjab College Hall on July 5. The premier wrestler Mohammad Inam did not attend the trials. He wants to focus on the World Championships and ANOC World Beach Games in which he will defend his title. He had also missed the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games due to fitness issues.

In the 57 kilogramme, Mohammad Bilal, who is the cousin of Mohammad Inam, downed Tariq Mehmood of Army and Mohsin Ali of WAPDA to win the Asian Games seat.

The Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayatullah, who belongs to Peshawar, was lucky to topple the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sharif Tahir in the 74 kilogramme weight category to earn an Asian Games berth. Inayat was losing the game but a takedown of Sharif Tahir in the last three seconds of the pulsating fight enabled him to confirm his seat in Pakistan’s Asian Games squad. Earlier in his first fight Inayatullah defeated Asadullah of Army, who is the national champion.

In the 86 kilogramme, Haider Ali, who was part of Pakistan’s squad for the 2022 Islamic Games in Turkey, beat reigning national champion Luqman to earn an Asian Games berth.

In the 125 kilogramme, reigning Rustam-e-Pakistan and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medallist Zaman Anwar was able to succeed. He first conquered Mohammad Awais of Army and then whacked Shahwar Tahir of Railways to make it to the country’s Asian Games squad. These are Pakistan’s top choices but the Asian Games is a tough event as the world’s best belong to this part of the world. Pakistan will need top preparation for the event. There are chances that Afghanistan will send their wrestling squad to Lahore for a joint training and competitions with Pakistan’s top lot. If it happens it will help both nations to prepare for the Asian Games in which Pakistan has not won a medal in the last 37 years.

Ask Pakistan coach Ghulam Fareed and he will tell you about the country’s medal chances in wrestling in this summer’s Hangzhou Asian Games. “There is a medal hope especially from Bilal and Inayatullah,” Fareed told ‘The News on Sunday’ (TNS). “As far as Haider is concerned, he is the best in Pakistan; he lost twice to Inam in the past after giving him a tough time but it depends on draws also. We also expect a fine display from Zaman, who is an experienced campaigner,” Fareed said. “If you see the results of the last Asian Championship, Bilal and Inayatullah were in the fifth and sixth positions in Asia. If we go systematically and analyse things then we will find that there are chances that we will be able to lift medals in the Asian Games. We have more chances in the 57kg and 74kg,” Fareed said.

“If we go back to Mongolia and Kazakhstan Asian Championships Bilal had won main fights before losing closely to Iranian to finish fifth. Inayat also finished fifth in the last Asian Championship. If we work hard we will be able to win medals in the Asian Games inshaAllah,” Fareed said.

Pakistan’s three top wrestlers Mohammad Inam, Mohammad Bilal and Inayatullah will also attend a ten-day training camp in Belgrade, Serbia, just before the World Championships in September, a few days before the Asian Games.The camp will be held from September 5-15 and Pakistan squad will be given free accommodation for the purpose as it is sponsored by the United World Wrestling (UWW).

The World Championships which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, from September 16-24 will also serve as a qualifying round for next year’s Paris Olympics.

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