Lahore, July 14 Haider Ali gets emotional remembering the biggest moment of his career clinching the silver medal in the F37/38 long jump event at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
"It was an unbelievable moment for me, a special one of course. Right from making Pakistan proud, witnessing the national flag being raised to clapping and appreciation from all across the world, everything was very emotional," Ali was quoted as saying in a Asian Paralympic Committee media release.
"People here back home knew about para-sport only after my Paralympic silver medal at Beijing 2008. The medal gave me recognition, a face, a motivation to believe in myself and my dreams. Many youngsters here also started following in my footsteps and now Pakistan has thousands of national para-athletes aspiring to become a paralympic medallist like me," he added while reminiscing on the Beijing 2008 glory where he set a new world record of 6.44m jointly with Tunisian Farhat Chida and only missed out on gold when the number of successful jumps were tallied up at the end of competition.
Eight years later, Ali in fact came close to repeating that feat in Rio but had to settle for bronze. He is now the first and only Pakistan para-athlete to win more than one Paralympic Games medal. The medal also helped Ali mature in terms of confidence, experience and becoming a role model to help change the perception of people about para-sport in Pakistan.
Looking ahead, Ali now wants to relive those glorious days with a medal-winning show at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games next year.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has put his training regime in disarray, Ali is confident of repeating his Beijing show in Tokyo. In fact, he is focused on going one step further to clinch the elusive gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where this time he is hoping to compete in discus as well as long jump.
"I am aiming for the gold this time. And all my focus is on my men's F37 discus event, where I am confident on finishing on top. In the recent events like the Indonesia 2018 Asian Para Games and Dubai 2019 World Championships, I have maintained the top placewinning the gold and silver medals. Besides, I believe my experience of the past few Games will play a big role," said Ali who secured the Tokyo 2020 ticket in his discus and long jump events at the Dubai 2019 championships.
"There will be pressure and medal expectations, of course, but I love to perform in that pressure now."
He is also expecting a good show in his men's long jump F37 event but said, "Competition in my long jump event is expected to be very tough this time with many strong athletes in contention."
The 35-year-old para-athlete admitted that the Tokyo 2020 postponement has given the athletes "more training time" for the Games, stressing that "this extra time would be beneficial for the younger athletes" who can attain their peak quickly.
Ali, who has hemiparesis on the right side since birth, has been motivated by the success of Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt. With so little resources, he said, "Bolt has shown the world that nothing is impossible".
"Despite coming from an unprivileged background, he achieved what nobody else in sprint and track could accomplish. He makes us believe in our dreams and that hard work and perseverance always pay off," he added.
( With inputs from IANS )