Pakistan to kick off taekwondo campaign

Olympics qualifier’s main round starts today.

KARACHI:

Pakistan start their campaign of the taekwondo Olympics qualifier today as they play the main round of the championship in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Pakistan’s main hope at the event Arshad Atif faces Netherlands’ Tommy Mollet in the 80-kilogramme category after earning a walkover in the preliminary round of the tournament that features 345 athletes from 109 countries.

“We have a lot of expectations from Atif,” Pakistan Taekwondo Federation Secretary Wasim Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “I really feel that he can defeat the Netherlands player because he has been working very hard for this.

“Atif won eight matches in a row to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship in May and we expect him to continue his good form.”

In other events, Kiran Bano will face Dominican Republic’s Yajaira Peguero in the 47-kilogramme category while Samiya Naz plays against Belarus’ Darya Zubovich.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2011.