KARACHI:
“It was very difficult to run continuously three times a day without the presence of a doctor. But it felt great because I really ran with everything I had,” Shajar Abbas His emotions and struggles were revealed on February 11, when he made history by becoming the first Pakistani sprinter to reach the final of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship.
The 22-year-old competed among 26 athletes in the 60m sprint in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Shajar’s story for this event is one of compassion, friendship, and triumph, as she receives help and comfort when she needs it most from the Indian team doctor. Shajar stormed after finishing in the top 16 to qualify for the semi-finals of the 60m, with a ninth-best time of 6.78 seconds, to advance to the next round. .
The next outing was the semi-final with Shajar shaving a long time to reach the final of the championship.
He continued to improve his time in the final to 6.71 seconds, finishing seventh out of eight, setting a new Pakistani record.
Bangladesh’s Imranur Rahman made history when he won the gold medal in 6.59 seconds in the event.
Since the inception of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in 2004, Pakistan has won only two medals in the event.
Return without proper assistance
The Asian Indoor Championship is Shajar’s first since 2022 Sports Management and the 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games.
“This is the first time I’ve competed in an indoor game like this. But I tried my best, it was very new,” Shajar told Alabi News.
It is remarkable to see that the Pakistani athletes are still standing despite the lack of special facilities. In Shajar’s case, there is no athletics track in Pakistan to train.
“I learned from my fellow players from China and India in other countries. The competition was tough because it was my first time in this environment, indoors, but I knew I did my best.
“It would have been nice if we had houses in Pakistan. I didn’t know how it was going to go when I was training here.”
Shajar explained that outdoor competitions are very different because the wind plays a role while one is running. Meanwhile, the timing of the best indoor run during the training session in Lahore was more of a guess.
“The truth is that we have no way of knowing because we are no longer making the conditions of the place where we will compete, which is a challenge in many ways.”
Shajar is the man to watch as he continues to prove his hunger to get on the podium, but finds himself in need as the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) is unable to send any experts. and professional workers and athletes. .
Like others in the team, Shajar competed today without his coach as well as a doctor.
So, he got comfort and help from the Indian specialist who was happy to prepare him before the decision.
“It’s very hard on the body, especially when we compete in a short time. Just like we were told about this event last month, so the body takes time.
“It was difficult because running three times a day takes a toll on the body. I needed a doctor, we didn’t have a team, so I got a lot of help from my Indian friends. Their physio was happy to help. In fact, if he didn’t help me, it would have been very difficult for me to run in the final. I am always grateful to him,” said Shajar.
The player who was born in Pattoki said that it would be useful if the federal government planned the games in advance because the training is only for one month.
He added that he hopes for the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification.
“My request is to fund our buildings and education. The 60m gold medalist at the Indoor Asian Championships, from Bangladesh, we both competed at the Commonwealth Games in the 100m and my time was better than his. But now look at him. He is supported by his country, he is training abroad, there are facilities and experts available to him, so he won the medal. I feel I can do it too, but we need good support,” said Shajar.
Despite the setbacks, Shajar believes in his abilities and believes that his hard work will pay off.
“The focus of training is to be good and win. I need prayers from everyone,” said Shajar, who now joins the sports department of Wapda.
AFP sent five players to the championship and a coach. Another impressive performance came from Uzair Rehman, who competed in the semi-final of the 400m event.
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