Olympics preparations: Bashir, Minhal reaping foreign coach’s benefits

Feel Belarusian trainer’s tips will help them immensely in Rio.

KARACHI: Rio-bound Pakistani shooters Ghulam Mustafa Bashir and Minhal Sohail have expressed their satisfaction at being trained by new Belarusian coach Vladimir Kovalenko, who has been hired by the National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) and Navy.

As per the duo, who is currently fine-tuning their technique at Karachi’s Karsaz shooting range, Kovalenko’s modern techniques are really helping them out.

“If I continue to get this training for several more months, I will be able to perform well at Rio and make Pakistan proud,” Bashir told The Express Tribune.

“I have been a professional of centre rapid pistol shooter but I have got a place at Rio on rapid fire pistol so my focus is all on that now,” added the 29-year-old Bashir, who scored 578 points in rapid fire pistol in the World Cup at Gabala last year to achieve the Minimum Qualifying Score (MQS) required for qualification for quota places in Rio.

For Bashir, participating at the Olympics in Rio will be a dream come true. “I will put everything I have in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and then train for the qualification of the next big events,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minhal thanked the Navy. “Navy supported me at the time of need which helped me win a gold medal at the National Championships and make it to Rio,” he said. “Now this experienced foreign coach will take us to the next level and we will hopefully make Pakistan proud at Rio.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2016.

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