LONDON, April 13: Pakistan swimmers are returning home empty-handed following their disappointing performance at the 9th FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships held at UK’s third largest city of Manchester from April 9 to 13.

The South Asian country was represented at the four-day event by a team of 13 swimmers including three females. Staged at the Manchester Arena, the competition was held in the 25 metres pool instead of the standard 50 metres one.

The squad members, namely, Kiran Khan, Eesha Khan, Ghulam Sakina, Waqas Ahmad, Abdul Rehman, Mazhar Naqvi, Syed Husain Naqvi Mustafa, Sikandar Khan, Shehbaz Khan, Ghulam Muhammad, Aneeq Anwar, Faisal Bhatti, Bassar Husain, were unable to progress beyond the preliminary heats of the various events in the face of tough competition by the European, Australian and American swimmers. —APP