Shuja ‘hurt’ after flag snub

Potential gold-medal hope Shujauddin Malik was deeply hurt by the tussle but vowed to hit back on the field.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s potential gold-medal hope Shujauddin Malik was deeply hurt by the tussle that took place during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games but vowed to hit back on the field and land Pakistan a medal.

“It was a very embarrassing moment for me and I am still struggling to forget the incident,” Malik told The Express Tribune from New Delhi. “It was my right to hold the national flag and he [Dr Mohammad Ali Shah] not only deprived me of that honour but also misbehaved with me and my coach.”

Malik, who won the only gold medal for Pakistan at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, was snubbed as the contingent walked out in the opening ceremony.

“Pakistan is my priority and I’ll try to do well to make its flag fly high,” he said. “I trained for months for these Games and I’ll recover from the shock to repeat my Melbourne performance.”

The Gujranwala-born Malik was deemed Pakistan’s main gold-medal hope following his performance four years ago.

“Shuja and Aisamul Haq Qureshi will be our key athletes in the event,” Pakistan Olympic Association chief Arif Hasan had said before the start of the Games.

Malik was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz for his Melbourne feat and won three gold medals in the South-Asian Games.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2010.