KARACHI: Haroon Khan, Pakistan’s sole Olympic hope in taekwondo, will leave for Japan on September 25 to feature in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games test event slated to be held on September 27 at Chiba city.As many as 32 top fighters from around the world will compete in Haroon’s weight category which is -58 kilogramme. “Yes, we are sending him on September 25 to Japan. It will help him get some more exposure which will further build his confidence ahead of major Olympic test to follow in few months,” Pakistan Taekwondo Federation’s (PTF) President Col Waseem told The News from Rawalpindi on Monday.Waseem said that Haroon had a realistic chance of qualifying for Olympics. “He is a potentially glorious guy. We have been working on him constantly for the last so many months. If we calculate till the end of the Asian qualifying round next year so we will be able to work on him for around two years to prepare him for his Olympic test,” Waseem said.Haroon last month lifted bronze in a G-1 event in Jordan. The Quetta-born young fighter impressed the game’s experts when he recorded a stunning win over European champion Mourad Laachraoui of Belgium in the round of 32 in the World Taekwondo Championships in Manchester Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 15 and 16 this year.After beating Mourad, however, Haroon fell in the round of 16 when he went 9-10 down to the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist and two-time European champion Rui Braganca of Portugal. Rui had won gold in the 2014 Baku and 2016 Montreux European Championships. Haroon had been sent to Korea for training ahead of the World Championships. Haroon, who won bronze medal at Al-Fajar International event, will have to compete for the Olympic slot in the Asian qualifying round which will be held from April 10 to 12, 2020, in eastern Chinese city Wuxi.“This would be the pressing event for Haroon as this would be the last chance for him,” Waseem said. “I am confident he will give surprise. Only the fighters of Iran and Thailand could compete Haroon. He can beat anyone else,” Waseem said.The gold and silver medallist of the Asian qualifying round will make it to the 2020 Olympics.Scotland-based Atif Arshad had narrowly missed the Olympics seat a few years ago when he finished with a bronze in the 2016 Asian qualifying round which had been held in the Philippines.In November Haroon will also feature in the China Open. “We are sending him to China Open also as some good fighters will come there which will further build Haroon’s confidence by playing with them,” Waseem said.Haroon is also being sent to Korea for a couple of monts training after the South Asian Games slated to be held in Nepal from December 1-10. “Korea training tour will also help Haroon to get acclamatise with the conditions as both Korea and Japan have the same weather condition,” Waseem said.“I have written to government for Rs2million for Haroon and Aneela. I also am looking forward to meet the IPC minister Fehmida Mirza. I am hopeful she will listen to me and help fighters in their cause,” Waseem said.
from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2A359zJ
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