AFP trying to hire Chinese coaches

AFP trying to hire Chinese coaches

KARACHI: Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) is desperately trying to hire the services of a couple of Chinese coaches for its sprinters and javelin throwers in order to prepare the lot for this year’s major international events.

“Yes we have talked to Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) and hopefully we will be able to hire a couple of coaches from China in near future for six months,” AFP President Major General (retd) Mohammad Akram Sahi told ‘The News’ on Monday.

“One would train sprinters to prepare them for the 13th South Asian Games and the other would work on the Asian Games bronze medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem and others. Arshad, besides featuring in the SAG, will also represent Pakistan in the World Athletics Championships. We have sent his entry for the global event so that he could press for Olympic seat,” said Sahi, who also recently got elected as the vice-president of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA).

The SAG would be held in Nepal’s cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara from December 1-10, 2019, while the World Athletics Championships would be conducted in Doha from September 27 to October 6, 2019.

About financial assistance for hiring Chinese coaches Sahi said that Army had told him that it would pay to the sprint coach, adding Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) could also back the cause as per its policy about foreign coaches.

“You know Arshad belongs to WAPDA and if WAPDA rush to the help of its athlete in paying his coach then it would really help us. Hopefully WAPDA will do it,” Sahi hoped. “If it did not take the step to support to help us hire the services of a Chinese javelin coach then we would try to seek support from other quarters,” Sahi said.

He was quick to add that it would be of great help if both coaches were hired as they would train the healthy bunch in these two areas in which Pakistan had the chance to lift medals in the South Asian Games. Sahi is also keen to see his athletes in the camp as soon as possible.

“Very soon we are writing to the PSB for camps. You know World Championships is also close and there are also SAG whose solid preparation is needed,” Sahi said. Sahi urged the government to take benefit of the MoUs which it had signed with various countries.

He said that he was trying on his own to establish a link with Qatar through his friend Dahlan Al-Hamad of Qatar, who is the AAA chief so that Pakistan’s athletes could get training there and benefit of the fantastic facilities which Qatar had established over the years.

“Foreign training is extremely necessary for our athletes if they are to excel in international circuit,” Sahi stressed. “During awards ceremony in Islamabad recently I spoke on stage that Arshad has great potential but he will not be able to progress unless he is provided with foreign training opportunities,” Sahi said.

Arshad has been the most successful athlete of the country over the years. He has to his credit bronze not only in the 2018 Asian Games but he is also the bronze medallist of the Asian Junior Championship. In the Asian Games Arshad had recorded 80.75 metre throw which means if he is able to reach to 85m plus in the World Championships in Doha then he can qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/489481-afp-trying-to-hire-chinese-coaches