LAHORE: Pakistan’s No2 javelin thrower Mohammad Yasir Sultan, who finished fourth in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday, has been advised by the world and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra to feature in maximum international events to achieve his goal.
“Neeraj advised me on Wednesday that I am doing a good job but I should feature in maximum international events so that I could achieve my goal,” Yasir revealed during a telephonic talk with The News from Hangzhou on Thursday.
“If I am given three or four more events in the next few months then I will have a good chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” said Yasir, who needs to manage an 85.50 metre throw to make it directly to the Paris Olympics.
Yasir managed a throw of 78.13 metre in Hangzhou in his second attempt in the javelin throw event on Wednesday to end fourth in the event which was won by Neeraj with a massive throw of 88.88 metre.
This was Yasir’s second-best effort ever. His best had come in August when he pulled off an impressive 79.93 metre throw in the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok to win bronze for the country.
Yasir said that in Hangzhou he failed to achieve his goal of 85 metre due to an elbow injury he developed while attempting his third throw.
“I fell on my left hand while managing the third throw. The whole body weight fell on the left elbow and I developed pain there. I used pain relieving spray but it kept disturbing me during the rest of the throws,” Yasir said.
Asked whether he felt any extra pressure which affected his performance, Yasir said he was very confident out there in the middle.
“There was no pressure issue. I was mentally very strong and did not feel any sort of pressure but the elbow pain was the main cause that prevented me from pulling off my best. I had planned to touch 85 metre; 82 metre was very much likely and I was in top feelings when the Japanese managed 82 plus but the pain impeded my effort,” he said.
Yasir said that this will not dent his motivation and he will keep working hard to achieve his goal. “My morale is high. I will start working hard again when I return. I will not abandon training and I also request the state to keep supporting me. I will inshaAllah win medals for the country at the major stages,” Yasir said.
His coach Fayyaz Hussain Bukhari had revealed while talking to this correspondent on Wednesday that Yasir had managed an 80 metre plus throw during warm-up just before the Asiad event. However, he said that his body feelings got down during the event.
Yasir, along with Arshad Nadeem and sprinter Shajar Abbas, will return home on Saturday (tomorrow). Coach Fayyaz Hussain Bukhari returned on Thursday. Arshad missed the Asian Games due to a knee injury.
Alam Zeb Safi Alam Zeb Safi is a senior reporter for The News
