Pakistan bodybuilders claim four gold medals
Federation claims result at South Asian event could have been better.
KARACHI:
Pakistan bodybuilders proved their mettle, grabbing four gold medals, a silver and a bronze in the South Asian Men’s Bodybuilding Championship that concluded yesterday in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Mr Pakistan Ashfaq Ahmed bagged a gold medal in the 90-kg event while teammates Azhar Zafar, Khalid Ali and Mohammad Bilal also grabbed gold medals in the 70-kg, 65-kg and the 55-kg events. Ali Imran managed a silver in 75-kg category while Ahmed had to settle for a bronze for the Mr South Asia title, losing to India’s Bobby Singh in the above 90-kg category.
“I’m disappointed at losing the Mr South Asia title and I regret not trying hard enough,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “However, I personally feel that I was better than Singh and the Afghanistan bodybuilder who took silver in the event.”
The championship comprised 40 athletes from seven countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
‘Result due to a smaller team’
Meanwhile, Pakistan Bodybuilding Federation (PBF) Secretary Sheikh Farooq Iqbal claims the team’s performance in the competition was affected by the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) decision to send only five bodybuilders instead of nine.
“There were nine events in the championship and we only had five bodybuilders,” said Iqbal. “More bodybuilders would’ve meant greater chances of winning medals.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2011.
Pakistan bodybuilders proved their mettle, grabbing four gold medals, a silver and a bronze in the South Asian Men’s Bodybuilding Championship that concluded yesterday in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Mr Pakistan Ashfaq Ahmed bagged a gold medal in the 90-kg event while teammates Azhar Zafar, Khalid Ali and Mohammad Bilal also grabbed gold medals in the 70-kg, 65-kg and the 55-kg events. Ali Imran managed a silver in 75-kg category while Ahmed had to settle for a bronze for the Mr South Asia title, losing to India’s Bobby Singh in the above 90-kg category.
“I’m disappointed at losing the Mr South Asia title and I regret not trying hard enough,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “However, I personally feel that I was better than Singh and the Afghanistan bodybuilder who took silver in the event.”
The championship comprised 40 athletes from seven countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
‘Result due to a smaller team’
Meanwhile, Pakistan Bodybuilding Federation (PBF) Secretary Sheikh Farooq Iqbal claims the team’s performance in the competition was affected by the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) decision to send only five bodybuilders instead of nine.
“There were nine events in the championship and we only had five bodybuilders,” said Iqbal. “More bodybuilders would’ve meant greater chances of winning medals.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2011.