Pakistan at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

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Pakistan at the
2016 Summer Paralympics
Flag of Pakistan.svg
IPC code PAK
NPC National Paralympic Committee of Pakistan
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors1 in 1 sports
Flag bearer Haider Ali
Medals
Ranked 76th
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Total
1
Summer Paralympics appearances

Pakistan competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its seventh appearance in the quadrennial event. The delegation consisted of the long jump competitor Haider Ali who qualified for the Games by meeting the required standards for the men's long jump T37 in a March 2016 event held in Dubai. On 13 September, he won Pakistan's second Paralympic medal with a mark of 6.28 metres in his event, placing him third.

Contents

Background

Pakistan has taken part in every Summer Paralympic Games since the 1992 edition in Barcelona. Entering the 2016 competition, the highest number of para-athletes sent by Pakistan was nine to the 2004 Games in Athens and the country had medalled once in athletics. [1] The nation participated in the Rio Summer Paralympics from 7 to 18 September 2016. The National Paralympic Committee of Pakistan qualified three athletes for Rio but financial difficulties in March 2016 meant they only fielded one competitor for the Games. [2] These problems were resolved five months later when the committee appealed to sponsors via Facebook to enable their delegation to be sent to Rio and received funding from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB). [3] The sole athlete to represent the country was the long jump competitor Haider Ali. He travelled with his coach Akbar Ali Mughal along with his manager and the Deputy Director Sports of the National Paralympic Committee of Pakistan Amna. [2] Pakistan was one of several countries to send just one athlete to the Rio Paralympic Games. [4] Ali was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. [5]

Disability classifications

Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. [6] [7] Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability. [8]

Medallists

MedalNameSportEventDate
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Haider Ali Athletics Men's Long Jump T37 13 September [9] [10]

Athletics

Haider Ali was 31 years old at the time of the Rio Summer Paralympics and it was his third appearance at the Games. He had previously contested the 2008 and the 2012 editions and won the silver medal in the men's long jump F37–38 at the 2008 Games. [9] Ali qualified for the quadrennial event by meeting the required standards for the men's long jump at the Dubai Rio Paralympics Qualifiers in March 2016. [2] He was classified as FT-37 because the muscles in his right leg are weak from being afflicted by cerebral palsy. [2] [9] In an interview with The News International five days before Ali's event, Imran Jamil Shami, the secretary of the National Paralympic Committee of Pakistan, expressed his confidence that the athlete would deliver the best performance of his career. [2] On 13 September [3] he competed in the final of the men's T37 long jump, setting a best mark of 6.28 metres, placing him third and earning the second Paralympic medal in Pakistani history. [10] [lower-alpha 1] After the event, the director of the PSB Akhtar Ganjera stressed that Ali's achievement would help promote the Paralympics in Pakistan and inspire many others in the country to compete at the national and international levels. [9]

Men's Field

AthleteEventsResultRank
Haider Ali Long Jump T37 6.28Bronze medal icon.svg [10]

See also

Notes and references

Notes

  1. Ali's mark was 0.16 metres less than what he achieved at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. [10]

Related Research Articles

Haider Ali is an all-around Pakistani para-athlete who created history at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China by winning the country's first ever Paralympic games medal, a silver. He also shared a new world record with his jump of 6.44 meters at the Games.

Pakistan at the Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Pakistan first participated at the Paralympic Games in 1992, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Paralympic Games since 1992. Pakistan has won two medals, a silver and a bronze medal in the Paralympic Games, both medals coming courtesy of Haider Ali in the Men's Long Jump event at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing and the 2016 Rio Summer Paralympics.

Belarus at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Belarus competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. They delegated 20 athletes to the Summer Paralympics. They competed in athletics, judo, rowing, swimming and wheelchair fencing.

Tonga at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Tonga competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.

Uganda at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Uganda sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the eighth appearance of the country in the Summer Paralympic Games after it debuted forty-four years prior at the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics. Athletics track runner David Emong was the sole athlete representing Uganda in Rio de Janeiro. He took part in the men's 400 metres T45–47 competition on 8 September and did not qualify for the finals because he was fifteenth overall. Emong participated in the men's 1500 metres T45–46 event later that day and he took Uganda's first medal in Paralympic competition by coming second in the final.

Togo at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Togo competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its debut appearance in the quadrennial event, although it had competed in the Summer Olympics nine times since the 1972 Games. The delegation consisted of a single lightweight powerlifter, Aliou Bawa, who qualified by being issued with a Bipartite Commission Invitation spot by the International Paralympic Committee. Bawa was the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Bawa failed to record a mark in the men's 49 kg category after being unable to lift 113 kilograms of weight in his three attempts.

Seychelles at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Seychelles sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the second time that the country took part in the Summer Paralympic Games after it made its debut twenty-four years prior at the 1992 Summer Paralympics and established a new National Paralympic Committee with assistance from UK Sport. Discus thrower Cyril Charles was the only competitor that the nation sent to Rio de Janeiro. In his event, the men's Javelin F56–57, he ranked fourteenth and last out of all the competing athletes with a personal best throw of 16.97 metres.

Senegal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Senegal sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the fourth successive appearance for the nation in a Summer Paralympic Games after it debuted at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Youssouphua Diouf, a javelin thrower, and shot put and discus thrower Daque Diop were the two athletes sent to Rio de Janeiro by Senegal. The delegation failed to win the country's first medal at the Summer Paralympics as its best performance in these Games was Diouf's seventh position in the men's javelin F56-57 event.

São Tomé and Príncipe at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

São Tomé and Príncipe competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its debut appearance in the quadrennial event, although it had competed in the Summer Olympics six times since the 1996 Games. The delegation consisted of a single short-distance runner Alex Anjos, who was chosen as São Tomé and Príncipe's flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Anjos was disqualified from the men's 100 metres (T47) for arriving late and failed to advance into the final of the men's 400 metres (T47) after failing to set a fast enough lap time.

Gabon at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Gabon sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the nation's third appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games, following their two previous participations at the 2008 Summer Paralympics and the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Gabon sent a sole athlete to represent them at Rio de Janeiro, wheelchair racer Edmond Ngombi. He did not advance from his heat in the men's 100 metres T54 event as he came sixth out of seven competitors and attributed the result to a handlebar problem.

Botswana at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Botswana sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the country's second time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games after making its debut at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Botswana was represented by one athlete, Keatlaretese Mabote, a short-distance sprinter. He competed in one event, the men's 400 metres T12 competition, where he was eliminated in the heat stages because he was third in his heat and only the top two participants in a heat progressed to the semi-finals.

Virgin Islands at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the Virgin Islands' second time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games. They were represented by one athlete, Ivan Espinosa, who contested one event, the men's 1500 meters T37. In that event, he came in 8th place.

Nicaragua at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Nicaragua sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the Central American country's third appearance at the Summer Paralympic Games, having made its debut twelve years earlier at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. They were represented by three athletes, sprinter Jennifer Osejo, middle-distance runner and sprinter Gabriel Cuadra Holmann and powerlifter Fernando Acevedo, who all qualified for the games by achieving the minimum qualifying standard in international competition. Neither Holmann or Osejo claimed a medal in their respective events and Acevado finished fifth in the men's −72kg powerlifting class.

Aruba at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Aruba competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its debut appearance in the quadrennial event, although it had competed in the Summer Olympics eight times since the 1988 Games. The delegation consisted of a single short-distance swimmer, Jesus De Marchena Acevedo, who qualified for the Games by using a wildcard. He was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony and was disqualified from the first discipline he took part in, men's 50 metres freestyle (S7), for arriving late but later placed last overall in the 100 metres freestyle (S7).

Haiti at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Haiti sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its third appearance at the quadrennial event and its delegation consisted of one shot put thrower Jean Indris Santerre, who qualified for the games by being issued a wild card from the International Paralympic Committee after being unable to qualify on merit. He was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Santerre did not start the final of the men's F57 shot put competition held at the Maracanã Stadium on 17 September for unknown reasons.

Palestine at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Palestine sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the fifth time they had taken part in a Paralympic Games after its debut sixteen years prior at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. Palestine sent one athlete to Rio de Janeiro shot put thrower Husam Azzam, who was the flag bearer for Palestine at the parade of nations during the opening ceremony. He did not win his third Paralympic medal because he ranked eighth out of ten athletes with a throw of 6.34 metres in the men's shot put F53 competition.

Malta at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Malta competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its ninth appearance at the quadrennial event with the exception of the years between 1988 and 2004. The delegation consisted of one short distance swimmer, Vladyslava Kravchenko, who was announced as the country's representative in April 2016. She was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Kravchenko competed in three swimming events but failed to advance into the final of each event as her times in her respective competitions were not fast enough to qualify for the later stages of each contest.

Faroe Islands at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

The Faroe Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. They sent one participant, Krista Mørkøre, who participated in three events in swimming. Her top finish was 10th in women's 400 m freestyle S10, and she did not qualify for the finals of any of her three events.

Cyprus at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Cyprus sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the island country's eighth consecutive appearance in a Summer Paralympiad having made its debut at the 1988 Summer Paralympics. The Cypriot delegation to Rio de Janeiro consisted of two athletes: sprinter Antonis Aresti and short-distance swimmer Karolina Pelendritou. Aresti placed sixth overall in the men's 400 metres T47 event and Pelendritou came fourth in the 100 metres breaststroke SB13 competition after losing the bronze medal by 20 cm (7.9 in) in the final.

Suriname at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sporting event delegation

Suriname sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was its fourth appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games since it debuted at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Suriname was represented by one athlete, sprinter and long jumper Biondi Misasi, who was making his third appearance in the Paralympics. He took part in two athletics event and his best performance at these Paralympics was seventh overall in the men's 100 metres T12 event. Misasi did not progress to the final since only the top four in all heats advanced to that stage.

References

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