LAHORE: The country’s leading wrestlers Mohammad Bilal, Inayatullah, Zaman Anwar and Haider Ali on Wednesday earned Asian Games tickets when they defeated their respective opponents in the trials conducted here at the Punjab College Hall.
Following their superb performances in the trials this four-member squad will now represent Pakistan in the Asian Games slated to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
The premier wrestler Mohammad Inam did not attend the trials as he wants to focus on the World Championships and ANOC World Beach Games. He had also missed the 2018 Indonesia Asian Games due to fitness issues.
In the 57 kilogramme, Mohammad Bilal, cousin of Inam, downed Tariq Mehmood of Army and Mohsin Ali of WAPDA. The Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayatullah, who belongs to Peshawar, was lucky to topple the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sharif Tahir in the 74 kilogramme weight category.
Inayat was losing the game but a takedown of Sharif Tahir in the last three seconds of the pulsating fight enabled him to confirm his seat in Pakistan’s Asian Games squad. Earlier, in his first fight, Inayatullah defeated Asadullah of Army, who is the national champion.
In the 86 kilogramme, Haider Ali, who was part of Pakistan’s squad for the 2022 Islamic Games, beat reigning national champion Luqman to earn Asian Games berth.
In the 125 kilogramme, reigning Rustam-e-Pakistan and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games silver medallist Zaman Anwar was able to succeed. He first conquered Mohammad Awais of Army and then whacked Shahwar Tahir of Railways to make it to the country’s Asian Games squad.
Pakistan coach Ghulam Fareed was confident about Pakistan’s medal chances in the Asian Games. “There is a medal hope, especially from Bilal and Inayatullah,” Fareed told 'The News' after the trials.
The World Championships which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, from September 16-24, will also serve as qualifying round for the next year’s Paris Olympics.
Alam Zeb Safi Alam Zeb Safi is a senior reporter for The News