KARACHI: Two Pakistani athletes will get training at the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) confirmed.

“The athletes will get training at International High Performance centres where all expenses will be borne by the IAAF,” AFP's President Akram Sahi told a local newspaper.

“I have time before the end of September to think about who we send. We have good athletes in the form of Liaqat Ali, Imran Niazi and Rabia Ashiq and this programme can help them transform from mere participants to genuine contenders.”

The training programme will facilitate athletes for a period of three months to two years along with giving them a monthly stipend and is aiming especially to help countries qualify for the Olympics and World Championships.

Pakistan failed to qualify for any event at the Olympics except hockey and the wild-card entries did not progress beyond the preliminary stages.