KARACHI: Pakistani sprinter Liaquat Ali will be desperately looking to record his personal best when he runs in the 100m heats of the athletics competitions of the London Olympics on Saturday (today).

 

His coach Masood Ahmad, who did not accompany the athlete to London, said that Liaquat would perform up to his potential. “I have just talked to him and he is fully confident and I am hopeful that he will perform upto his potential,” Masood told ‘The News’ on Friday. “It is a great opportunity for him to improve his timing as the result will give him a great boost ahead of the South Asian Games,” said the coach.

 

He said that Liaquat was a bit weak mentally but he had worked hard with him. He said he was optimistic that he would feel no pressure during his race.

 

Liaquat clocked a record 10.10 seconds timing at the National Championship at Lahore last year but it was manually recorded and was therefore not reliable. The world athletics governing body, IAAF, does not accept timing which is manually noted. His personal best timing is 10.55 seconds.

 

Okara-born Liaquat got a silver medal in the 100m relay in the South Asian Athletics Championship in Cochin in 2008.

 

In 2009, he took part in the World Championship in Germany. In 2010 Dhaka South Asian Games he got bronze medals in the 100m and 200m. Another Pakistani athlete Rabia Ashiq will compete in the 800m on August 8.

 

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/