Khalil Akhtar becomes first Pakistani to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020
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ISLAMABAD – Shooter Mohammad Khalil Akhtar has become the first Pakistani to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, National Rifle Association of Pakistan (NRAP) said on Monday.
The 35-year-old shooter from Pakistan Army put up a splendid show in the World Shooting Cup in Brazil, finishing sixth in the Rapid Fire Pistol event. The event served as the qualifier for next year’s Olympics.
“Akhtar has qualified for Olympics through the quota system. At the World Shooting Cup he edged passed World No. 1, World No. 4 and World No. 5,” Javaid Lodhi, Executive Vice President of NRAP told APP.
“So far he is the only Pakistani to qualify for the Olympics. We are happy at his performance and now hope he would earn a medal at the global prestigious sport’s event in Tokyo,” he added.
With the exceptions of St Louis 1904 and Amsterdam 1928 Games, Shooting has featured on every Olympic programme since the first modern Games in 1896.
At 2020 Tokyo Olympics contests will be held in 50m Rifle 3 Positions (Men/Women), 10m Air Rifle (Men/Women), 25m Rapid Fire Pistol (Men), 25m Pistol (Women), 10m Air Pistol (Men/Women), Trap (Men/Women), Skeet (Men/Women), 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team, 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team and Trap Mixed Team.
Khalil will compete in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, which is an event involving successive rapid-fire in the standing position over short periods of eight, six and four seconds. No automatic function is used and all shots require the trigger to be pulled manually.
