Pakistan’s Haider Ali won silver in the men’s F37 discus throw at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday. The 41-year-old recorded a throw of 57.20 metres to finish second in a closely contested final. Uzbekistan’s Kudratillokhon Marufkhujaev claimed gold with 57.39 metres, setting a new Asian Para Games record.
Ali produced six throws of 51.63, 56.51, 54.98, 53.65, 57.20 and 54.45 metres. His best effort secured silver, just 19 centimetres behind the gold-medal winner. India’s Haney took bronze with 57.04 metres, with both Ali and the Indian athlete recording personal bests.
Read more : Asian Cup 2027 could move to 2028 amid Saudi security concerns
Speaking from Nagoya, Ali credited his preparation for the result. “Thanks God I had worked hard and was rewarded,” he said. The Gujranwala-born athlete added that he had trained for a year because he considered the event a major competition.
Uzbekistan’s Tolibboy Yuldashev finished fourth with 55.39 metres, followed by Japan’s Yamato Shimbo at 51.31 metres. Asilbek Mukimov of Uzbekistan placed sixth with 49.90 metres, while Thailand’s Thanaphon Kongsao finished seventh with 36.34 metres. The world record stands at 59.75 metres, set by Uzbekistan’s Khusniddin Norbekov at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
Read more : Asian Masters Weightlifting Championship, World Masters GP start …
The silver medal adds to Ali’s decorated career in para athletics. He won discus gold at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, long jump silver at Beijing 2008 and long jump bronze at Rio 2016. He also earned discus bronze at the Paris 2024 Paralympics and has claimed four Asian Para Games gold medals alongside two bronze medals.