Rahim wins maiden medal for Pakistan

SINGAPORE - Pakistan's youngster Rahim Khan won bronze medal in javelin throw event of the inaugural Asian
Youth Games 2009 here at the Bishan Stadium on day three of the competition on Thursday.
Rahim by this win brought joy in Pakistan camp as well as to the country bringing it into the medal winning
nations led by China with 18 medals including 13 golds.
Rahim spiked the javelin far away to 60.73 metres distance. Rahim was 13.93 mertres short of gold and 11.24
metres short of silver medal in the competition but his 60.73 metres throw placed Pakistan among the winners.
After China's 18 medals, comes Korea with 14 medals - four gold, five silver and bronze medals each and then
is Japan with three gold and four sliver while hosts Singapore is at number four with three gold and five bronze
medals.
In the javelin throw competition, India's Rohit Kumar got gold medal with 74.70 metres while Taipei athlete
Choa-Tsun Chheng won silver medal with a 71.97 metres throw. Rahim finished above Syria's Mkarem
Almahamid who threw the javelin to 58.47 metres to be placed fourth in the competition.
The Pakistan team coach Ch Mohammad Saddiq showed his pleasure on Rahim's bronze win. "The win at this
level of the competition is really commendable because Rahim in his maiden appearance at international event
won bronze," he said.
He further stated that the win has brought congratulatory messages from Pakistan. Some of the officials talked
with Pakistan chef de mission Naveed Akram Cheema and felicitated him and the team.
"When the top officials back home knew of Rahim winning the bronze medal, they called us to congratulate the
athlete and the contingent.
"This Sargodga lad really brought job for us said the message from Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, Federal
Minister for Sports, Mr. Anisul Hasnain, Federal Secretary Sports, Syed Amir Hamza Gilani, Director General,
Pakistan Sports Board, Lt.Gen.(Retd) Muhammad Safdar, President, Athletics Federation of Pakistan.
Though Pakistan's lone medal in athletics did brought happiness to some extent but things at other ends of the
games like table tennis and sailing remained depressing.
Pakistan players participating in table tennis and sailing did not come up to the level of game their rivals had.