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GUANGZHOU: Pakistan has changed its flag bearer for the Asian Games opening ceremony after a wrestling coach refused permission Wednesday for Commonwealth gold medalist Azhar Ali to skip training and travel early to Guangzhou.
Last month Pakistan narrowly averted a boycott by its weightlifting team at the Commonwealth Games after an official took a last-minute decision to carry the flag into the opening ceremony in New Delhi instead of the lifter who had been nominated.
"We had no such misunderstanding this time around and it was made clear to everyone that Ali will be the flag bearer," Pakistan Olympic Association director general Mohammad Afzal told The Associated Press.
Afzal said hockey captain Zeeshan Ashraf will now carry the national flag at Friday's opening event.
"The coach does not want to disturb the training of the wrestler and he didn't allow Azhar to fly to Guangzhou for the opening ceremony," Afzal said.
Ali was due to arrive in Guangzhou five days after the opening ceremony to compete in the wrestling event which begins Nov. 20.
"Ali will be arriving on Nov. 17 and we had no other option but to nominate someone else," Afzal said.
Provincial sports minister Dr. Mohammad Ali Shah, who marched with the Pakistan flag at the Commonwealth Games, claimed he was not officially told prior to the New Delhi ceremony that Melbourne gold medalist Shujauddin Malik had been nominated as flag bearer.
Malik reportedly said he was mentally disturbed with Shah's attitude and that was the reason behind his poor performance.
The weightlifter injured his shoulder during competition at New Delhi and ended up in hospital for precautionary scans.
Malik had not recovered from the injury and was not competing at the Asian Games. – AP
