LAHORE: Pakistan shooter Khalil Akhtar and badminton player Mahoor Shahzad will bear the national flag during the march past of the Tokyo Olympics starting on July 23.

“As per instructions of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games / International Olympic Committee, each NOC has to nominate one accredited female athlete and one accredited male athlete from its delegation to serve as flag bearer during the opening ceremony parade of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which will take place on Friday, July 23, 2021 at 08:00pm (JST),” read a press release issued by the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Monday.

“I take this opportunity to inform that retired Lt Gen Syed Arif Hasan HI(M), president of the Pakistan Olympic Association [NOC Pakistan], has approved the names of the following [two] athletes as Pakistan’s flag flag bearers in the opening ceremony parade of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“Mohammad Khalil Akhtar attained direct qualification in shooting in the 2019 World Cup at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Mahoor Shahzad got the invitation place by the Olympic Games Tripartite Commission. She is the first female ever representing Pakistan in badminton in the Olympic Games,” the press release concluded.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2021