Yasir Sultan faces equipment hurdle ahead of Asian Throwing Championship

Eyeing a spot at the World Championships, Pakistan’s No. 2 javelin thrower Yasir Sultan is preparing under less-than-ideal conditions, training with substandard equipment at Punjab Stadium in Lahore which could once again hinder his performance at an international event.

Yasir is scheduled to depart for South Korea on Monday to compete in the Asian Throwing Championship on August 22, his last opportunity to secure a berth at the World Athletics Championships. However, the quality of his training gear is raising serious concerns.

Nukta has learnt that Yasir has been using a mediocre javelin, typically meant for beginners and youth players. Though he was provided with three javelins by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), he claims none of them meet international standards. These low-quality javelins simply don’t travel far enough.

“What I need is a high-quality javelin like the one provided to Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem,” Yasir said.

“I requested the PSB to provide me with a proper javelin but they have yet to fulfill their promise,” he said.

'It's a big issue'

He emphasized how adjusting to a standard javelin in competition becomes a technical challenge after training with inferior equipment.

“Yes, it’s a big issue,” Yasir told Nukta on Friday. “Training here with an ordinary javelin and then switching to a different, standard one during an international meet requires adaptation. These javelins demand a certain technique and it’s not easy to adjust on the spot,” he said.

Yasir will be accompanied by his coach Fayyaz Bukhari and will land in Korea on August 19, just two days before his event. The limited time available for final training and adjustment could prove critical.

Despite the challenges Yasir remains optimistic. He has been training consistently at Punjab Stadium throwing every alternate day over the past week, completing 45 throws in three sessions.

“The throws are good,” said Yasir, who clinched bronze at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championship in Bangkok with a personal best of 79.93 meters.

However, he struggled in a recent Asian meet in Korea where Arshad Nadeem took home the gold but Yasir is determined to bounce back.

“I have managed throws over 80 meters in training. My aim is to go beyond 85 meters and I believe I can if my body responds well on the day,” said Yasir, who narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

This will be his fourth trip to Korea and Yasir hopes familiarity with the conditions will play to his advantage.

“These final few days before a meet are the toughest. You cannot afford even the smallest mistake, it can throw off your entire preparation,” he said.

That said Yasir remains confident and physically ready.

“I’m feeling good. There is no injury concern and I hope to deliver my best in Korea,” he concluded.

To qualify for the World Championships, which begin in Tokyo on September 13, Yasir will need to achieve a throw of at least 85.50 meters.