Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Paris 2024 Olympics: Meet the Pakistani athletes set to compete in Olympic Games

Pakistan’s 18-member contingent, comprising seven athletes and eleven officials, is gearing up to represent the country at the Paris Olympics, set to begin on July 26. The team will travel to Paris in small groups, ensuring they are well-prepared for the grand event.

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be held on July 26, 2024. For the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium. It is set to be held in the heart of the city along the Seine. The parade of 10,500 athletes will be held on the Seine with boats for each national delegation.


Shooting

The shooting squad, featuring shooters Ghulam Mustafa Bashir, Joseph Gulfam and Kishmala Talat, along with Russian coach Gennady Solodovnikov and official Col Junaid Ali, will go to Paris on July 18.


Swimming

Swimmers Jehanara Nabi and Mohammad Ahmed Durrani and official Lt. Col (retd) Ahmed Ali Khan will also travel to Paris on July 18. The Dubai-based swimmers, representing Pakistan on the wild card, will participate in the freestyle 200m.


Athletics

Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, sprinter Faiqa Riaz, who will feature on the wild card, and coach Salman Butt, fly to France’s capital on July 24. England-based Dr Ali Sher Bajwa will join the athletics squad in Paris.

Four officials from the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) will also be part of the contingent: chef de mission Mohammad Shafiq, deputy chef de mission Javed Lodhi, Dr. Syed Meesaq Hussain Rizvi, and admin official Zainab Shoukat.

Pakistani athletes who have qualified directly for the Olympics are javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, and shooters Kishmala Talat, Ghulam Mustafa Bashir and Joseph Gulfam. This means only a total of six athletes will be representing the country in the Olympics 2024.


Arshad Nadeem: The javelin thrower aims big at Paris Olympics 2024

World silver medallist Nadeem aims to make history this summer in Paris, drawing on his previous Olympic experience and the support of an Olympic Solidarity scholarship, which he called “a great help.”

“The support through the scholarship has been a great help with a lot of things that were needed – a lot of things that were rudimentary to javelin throwing and athletics,” Nadeem said. “It has helped me towards achieving my goals.”

Arshad Nadeem Javelin
Athlete Arshad Nadeem became the first Pakistani sportsman to secure the fifth position at World Athletics Championship 2022

Before heading to the Olympics, Arshad is set to compete in the Diamond League in Paris on July 7. He will return on July 8, and then fly back to Paris on July 24.


Pakistan’s first Olympic markswoman Kishmala Talat aiming for historic medal

Kashmala Talat, a 21-year-old hailing from a military family, is the first Pakistani woman to qualify for Olympic shooting.

“In Pakistan, there’s a prevalent taboo that dictates girls should stay at home, do girly things, and play with dolls, while boys are to play with guns,” she said. “I longed for recognition. I wanted to do more. I am dedicated to giving my best performance to let Pakistan’s name shine,” Talat added.

Talat, who has just completed her university degree in communications, has a global ranking of 37th in the 10m event and is 41st in the 25m, according to the International Shooting Sport Federation.

Kishmala Talat shooter from Pakistan
Pakistan’s first Olympic markswoman Kishmala Talat aims for historic medal at Paris 2024 Olympics. (Image Credit: X)

Pakistan has only ever won 10 Olympic medals — all by men — and none since the 1992 Olympic Games. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Talat will compete in the 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events.


Swimmer Jehanara Nabi set to represent Pakistan at Paris 2024 Olympics

Pakistan’s female swimmer Jehanara Nabi will represent the country at the Paris Olympics 2024 on a wild card, the Pakistan Swimming Federation (PSF) confirmed. She will compete in the 200-meter freestyle event at the Olympics. The 19-year-old has significant international experience and has excelled in various events, particularly the 200m freestyle.

“I am so grateful and proud to announce that I will be representing Pakistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics! I can’t begin to put into words how special this moment is for me. Ever since the day my father taught me how to swim, I knew that I wanted to pursue this sport and take it to the next level for Pakistan. Representing Pakistan at the Olympics has been my biggest dream and a goal that I have been working towards for the last 8 years,” Jehanara said in an Instagram post.

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