ISLAMABAD, Sep 27: The second batch of Pakistani contingent left here Friday to participate in the 14th Asian Games starting at the South Korea city of Busan Saturday.

The bulk of the 181-strong Pakistani contingent is already in Busan after having departed for South Korea Tuesday.

Those leaving in this batch included 11 kabaddi players, two karate members, three bodybuilding players and one taekwondo official in addition to some representatives of Pakistan Olympic Association.

Pakistan, which won one gold medal each in squash and snooker in the last Asian Games at Bangkok in 1998, will be represented in 19 disciplines. These are: bodybuilding, billiards and snooker, boxing, football, hockey, kabaddi, taekwondo, karate, shooting, swimming, rowing, sailing, athletics, squash, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.

Deputy chef-de-mission, Brig. Arif Rasool, will lead the contingent, it was learnt on Friday.

Pakistan’s best performance in Asiad, since its inception in 1951, has been at its third edition at Tokyo in 1958 when the Pakistani players won five gold medals, four of them in athletics alone and one in hockey, in addition to four silver and as many bronze medals.

The country’s worst showing at the Asian Games has been at 1994 edition at Tokyo when the Pakistanis failed to clinch even a single gold medal.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Sports Board is to make a decision Saturday on the distribution of four complimentary tickets amongst the journalists. “A decision will be made after consultations with the Minister for Sports (S.K. Tressler)”, Director General of Pakistan Sports Board, Brig. Saulat Abbas, said Friday.—APP