March 4, 2006	Saturday	Safar 3, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, March 3: Pakistan’s Commonwealth Games party that leaves for Melbourne on Sunday has realistic chances of winning medals in at least four disciplines.

Boxing remains Pakistan’s best bet followed by hockey, weightlifting and shooting while there could also be a medal in squash doubles.

The first batch of the national contingent comprising 64 members flies out from Lahore a day behind the original schedule which had to be changed because of American President George Bush’s arrival.

A two-man advance party has already left for Australia while the chef de mission Kamran Lashari plus two officials and the squash team is due to proceed on March 11.

Pakistan are hoping to improve on their tally of eight medals at the 2002 Games in Manchester and are pinning hopes mainly on the boxers.

Gold was scarce for Pakistan at the last edition and it was only boxer Haider Ali who was able to pick up the country’s solitary gold.

“The boxers are really in good shape and should live up to their promise,” says Brig. Arif Mahmud Siddiqui, the head of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) who is just being transferred elsewhere.

The boxing quintet of Asian Games gold winner Mehraullah Lassi, Asghar Ali Shah, Nauman Karim, Muhammad Nisar and Abid Ali are all supremely confident of landing medals.

“We are aiming for gold because to win big, we have to think big,” Nauman told Dawn earlier this week at the team’s training base in Islamabad.

That spirit and confidence should rub off well on the rest of the contingent, the weightlifters more so. It was this discipline that earned Pakistan three silver medals in Manchester.

Those medals in the 69kgs category came through Irfan Islam, who is again a part of the current squad. He is one of four members who have been in training since August last year.

Irfan, a Commonwealth Games record holder, will compete in the 77kgs category in Melbourne and hopes to do well just like his team-mates Sajjad Amin Malik (105 kgs), Shujauddin Malik (85 kgs) and Ishtiaq Ghafoor (62 kgs).

Although they have trained well, the weightlifters say international exposure in the run-up to the Games would have been of great help.

“We have not had any training tours abroad but I think it was perhaps because there were changes coming about in the federation,” said Sajjad, a national record holder in 94 kgs category.

In hockey, after a bronze finish four years ago, Pakistan are looking to go better this time with coach Asif Bajwa optimistic of his side playing the final.

A 7-1 semifinal thrashing by New Zealand had left Pakistan’s gold hopes in tatters four years ago but Asif and his start-stop team are promising an improved show.

A 3-1 victory in the recent six-Test series with India may have helped yet Asif knows how quickly fortunes can change in modern- day hockey.

“We have to go all out in every match no matter what the opposition and there shouldn’t be any room for complacency.”

There will be medals up for grabs in shooting, a discipline in which Pakistan won two bronzes last time.

“Irshad Ali and Mehwish Maqsood Khan are really good prospects while Nazish Khan could spring a surprise,” Arif said.

Irshad won a bronze in 2002 in the air pistol event while Pakistan’s other medal was the team bronze in the same event and much again is now expected from the six-member squad.

The squash pair of Aamir Atlas Khan, nephew of the legendary Jansher Khan and Khayal Muhammad Khan stand a fair chance of grabbing a medal.

“Our doubles team is good but I don’t think there’s anything for Mansoor Zaman and Shahid Zaman in the individual event,” squash secretary Zulfiqar Ahmed said.

At the Games which open on March 15, Pakistan will also be competing in athletics, badminton, cycling, gymnastics, swimming and table tennis.

For the players on these teams, it will only be a matter of representing the country and doing well.