6ISLAMABAD - Olympian Liaqat Ali, Pakistan's fastest man who holds the record of breaking 10-second barrier in 100m race in the recently-concluded 46th National Athletics Championship where he covered the distance in 9.99 seconds, has been selected by Asian Athletics Federation for Asian Athletics Championship in China and Athletics Grand Prix in Thailand.
In an exclusive interview with The Nation on Tuesday, when the world is celebrating World Athletics Day, Laiqat, 31, said: “I started athletics in 2005. Prior to that I was playing hockey for Army but due to certain reasons I decided to quit hockey. I had participated in Army inter-department athletics and started to enjoy racing 100m and 200m. I hold national record in both 100m and 200m and I set national record in 200m in the National Athletics Championship with record time of 20.65 seconds.”
Liaqat, who hailed from Ranala Khurd, Okara, said he had joined Army as hockey player before converting to athletics in 2005. “I went to London Olympic in 2012 and finished 4th in my pool. I also went to Germany, China, Brazil, England, Japan and other countries and performed well. Representing Pakistan in Olympics was the highlight of my career. I am grateful to Athletics Federation of Pakistan president Major General (R) M Akram Sahi for providing me numerous opportunities and helping all the athletes. I had never witnessed such a polite and fatherly figure, who took personal interest. I am very happy and quite satisfied with the facilities and incentives being offered to us.”
Liaqat said he was training under Army coach Maqsood for the last several years. He termed his coach world class level who had great knowledge of athletics. “I am currently Asian number six player in 200m. I am very grateful to AFP president, as he had ensured my departure 15 days earlier for the Asian Athletics Championship , which starts from June 4. It would provide me better chance and I would be able to train alongside best players of Asia. I request AFP to send me at least a week earlier for Athletics Grand Prix in Thailand so I could get time to adjust to conditions.”
Liaqat idolizes American sprinter Tyson Gay and is working hard to emulate his predecessors to raise the green flag high. Though he is wrong side of age for an athlete to compete at international level yet his hard work has made it possible for him to excel at the bigger stage and he still aims to retain the same level for next four to five years. “I want to avail each and every day to win laurels for the country and achieve the feat no one had ever done for Pakistan. Winning at Asian level is good but I had set goal of winning at international level. I can fulfill my potential if provided with 6-month training in Jamaica or US. It would certainly sharpen my skills. AFP is doing well beyond their capacity and now it is government, IPC and PSB’s turn to fulfill their duty to lend helping hand to AFP and release special grant so the federation could invest on athletes,” Liaqat concluded.
While sharing his views AFP president Sahi terms Liaqat’s selection for Asian event as great achievement and sayd it showed the federation was doing level best to recognise the services of players. “After a long gap we have managed to find players who could bring laurels for country just like past legends M Khaliq and Razziq had done. It is my appeal to Prime minister to recognise our services and lend helping hand to federation so we could focus on producing more players like Liaqat. We are providing what we could despite very limited annual grant, which is not even enough for running day-to-day affairs. Conducting national championships, sending players abroad for competitions and arranging international coaches are almost impossible tasks. But with the help of few friends, I am fulfilling my national responsibility . I hope PM would direct the PSB to allocate special grant for AFP sooner rather than later.”