LAHORE: An 87-member contingent of Pakistan will take part in the 21st Commonwealth Games being held on Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15.

The contingent comprising 56 players and 31 officials will feature in 10 disciplines — athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

Pakistan’s chances of a medal in almost all disciplines at the Games, however, are bleak.

Even in field hockey, the country, whose national team have gone from bad to worse in recent years, cannot expect wonders.

However, as some of the world’s top hockey teams like Germany, Holland, Belgium, Argentina and Spain are not part of the Commonwealth Games, Pakistan should take advantage to reach at least the podium.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s chef-de-mission retired Lt Gen Muzammil Husain convened a meeting at Wapda House to discuss the arrangements, preparedness level and coordination plan of the contingent for the said games.

POA secretary general Mohammad Khalid Mahmood, Wapda secretary and Wapda Sports Board president Amer Ahmad, Pakistan Sports Board deputy director general (technical) Syed Habib Shah, national sports federations representatives and team managers attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2018