Haider all set for Paralympics Ceremony

He will be in action on September 6

PARIS:

Pakistan's premier athlete at the Paralympics Haider Ali will be representing the country as he also bears the flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics at La Concorde and on Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris.

The 37-year-old has been a legend for Pakistani sports as in Tokyo he also became the first Pakistani ever to win a gold medal at the Paralympics. He will be competing in the F37 category discus throw that will take place on September 6.

Previously he also won a gold medal at the Para Asian Games 2023. He had been training in Islamabad and continued to train once he arrived in Paris on August 26.

Ali made history for Pakistan in 2008 when he won the silver medal in Beijing and a bronze in Rio.

He is accompanied by his coach Akbar Mughal in Paris along with Chef de Mission Ahmad Shami.

Haider's category F37 is for field athletes who are competing with moderately affected coordination and movement down one side.

Last time, the National Paralympics Committee of Pakistan managed to send two athletes to Tokyo.

With Haider being a favourite to win a medal for Pakistan, Anila Izzat Baig made history as she became the first Pakistani woman to compete at the Games. She participated in the F64 Discus Throw.

Meanwhile, this is also the first time that France is hosting the Paralympics, and Paris has been buzzing with the hype of the games for the last five days.

The slogan, 'Game [is not] over} can be seen at different places as the city had a two-week break between the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. The Mayor of Paris and her deputy also hosted a press conference at the Paris Media Centre this week detailing the activities of keeping the city ready for the Paralympics.