KARACHI: Pakistan’s national taekwondo team will be participating in the upcoming Asian Taekwondo Olympics Qualifier Tokyo 2020 which will take place in Jordan from May 19-23.

The squad comprising seven members will depart for Amman, Jodan on May 18th to take part in the qualifiers there. The squad has two male athletes in Taimoor Saeed (+87 kg), Haroon Ahmed Khan (-58 kg) and two female athletes including Aniela Aysha Asfar (-49 kg), and Zoya Sabir (-57 kg).

Nadir Khan, Shahzada Muhammad Asif will be the coach and physiotherapist respectively.

Omar Saeed, CEO Hankook and vice president Pakistan Taekwondo Federation, will be the team leader.

President Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF), Col (R) Wasim Janjua said that the federation has made all the arrangements for the national team’s participation in the qalifiers from its own resources along with Army Sports Department’s support.

The athletes had been training in Islamabad from December last to March 3 this year but the training camp was called off due to the third wave of Covid-19. “The camp resumed after May 1 for players to practice for the big event. Director Army Sports Board Brigadier Zaheer wholeheartedly supported the camp and made sure all facilities were provided to the athletes,” said Wasim Janjua. “We also received tremendous support from Omar Saeed.”

He further added that the Pakistan team will depart on May 18th and will be accommodated at the Kempinski Hotel in Amman with complete Covid-19 SOPs. “All participating athletes, coaches, umpires, and broadcasting teams will have undergo covid tests upon their arrival in Amman with daily checkups to follow,” said Wasim.

The Pakistan team will return home on May 24.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2021