25 January 2005	Tuesday	14 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Pakistan weightlifters will be looking for exposure rather than medals at this year's Islamic Games in Saudi Arabia, a top official said on Monday.

"The competition at the Games will be truly world class and although our players will put in their best our chances of winning medals are quite slim," Muzaffar A. Qureshi, secretary of Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) said.

"With countries like Iran, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt on show, the quality of competition will be high class but it will surely give our weightlifters valuable experience." A Pakistan training camp with 12 weightlifters in attendance is due to resume in earnest after Eid break on Wednesday.

Initially the strength of the camp was 20 but it was cut down to 12 after Sri Lanka announced it was not in a position to stage the SAF Games this year because of the Tsunami disaster.

The weightlifters now in the camp are brothers Abdullah Ghafoor and Ishtiaq Ghafoor, Matiur Rehman, M. Irfan Islam, Owais Akbar, Shujauddin Malik, M. Shakeel Butt, Hamayun Butt, M. Zaheeruddin Malik, Haroon Asif, Wasif Hanif Butt and Waqas Tariq Butt. Abdul Ghafoor is the coach and will be assisted occasionally by Khizar Hayat.