LAHORE: The training programme of Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s top javelin thrower, and his junior compatriot Mohammad Yasir in South Africa is yet to start as the athletes are still waiting for the issuance of the visa to travel to the country.

The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) had made all the payments for Arshad and Yasir’s training to Northwest University Potchefstroom under coach Terseus Liebenberg, keeping in view four major international events lined up during 2022 in which the 25-year-old Arshad has to represent the country.

Having applied for the visa around one month ago, he is still waiting to get it.

The World Athletics Championships are to be held from July 15 to 24 in Oregon, US followed by the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (CWG), scheduled to be held from July 28 to Aug 8. The Islamic Solidarity Games (ISG) are due from Aug 9 to 18 at Konya, Turkey. Then, the 2022 Asian Games will be staged from Sept 10 to 25 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Arshad made headlines when he became the first Pakistan athlete to directly qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he reached the final and finished a commendable fifth.

Keeping in view these prestigious events, the AFP had planned to send Arshad and the 23-year-old Yasir, another bright prospect, to South Africa for training.

But according to AFP president retired Major Gen Mohammad Akram Sahi, the current position in this regard was very disturbing.

“We’d filed visa applications for these two athletes on Jan 7 through an authorised visa application centre in Lahore. But we are not sure when we are going to get these endorsed.

“The situation is quite worrying as we’ve made advance room bookings for the athletes [in Potchefstroom], paying Rs2.5 million for that. We have been told that we may even lose that amount if we remain unable to send our athletes in time,” Sahi feared.

Citing example of India’s Neeraj Chopra, who won gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, that athlete had been training in the US since December.

“And as per my information, he is going to train there till September to remain in shape for all major international events.”

Sahi said the AFP was facing scarcity of funds to meet the training expenses of the two athletes at Potchefstroom.

“The federation on its own has managed to arrange Rs2.5 million for the athletes’ travelling and lodging in South Africa. But it needs Rs20 million to meet all the expenses till their stay there plus their participation in the upcoming international events,” he maintained.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2022