ATHENS, Aug 23: Sumera Manzoor will become the third ever woman athlete to represent Pakistan in Olympics, by taking part in the 1500m in the Athens Olympics Athletics event on Tuesday.

Before Sumera, Shabana Akhtar and Shazia have represented the country in the two previous Olympics. Shabana was the first female athlete who participated in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Shazia participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics in.

Sumera, silver medallists of 9th SAF Games held at Islamabad in March last, knows her Olympics campaign will finish on a sad note by her elimination in the heats but she feels very proud while representing the country in Olympics and being called an Olympian afterwards.

She said the women representation of Pakistan in Olympics though was less in number at the present stage but expressed the hope in years to come a lot of Pakistani female athletes will be making their marks in Olympics by taking part in a number of events.

"A decade ago there existed no thought that female Pakistani athletes will be taking part in Olympics but with the changing time it finally happened and I have a few role models ahead of me who are Shabana and Shazia and I feel delighted to join them and to become a source of inspiration for the athletes of new generation to continue our journey to Olympics," she said on Monday after a practice session.

Sumera said knowing the sour reality that she would not be able to qualify, she at the same time feels her participation would give her a new confidence and spirit to improve, not to Olympic level but certainly to South Asia and Asia.

"People will be thinking about my poor run in the Olympics, but for me it would not be a shame as I know Pakistan's standing and standard in the game which will gradually improve by imparting the young athletes training under a long term plan," she said. -APP