CHENNAI: He's from the family of Pakistan’s first-ever gold medallist Din Muhammad but Tayyab Raza started taking wrestling seriously only in 2015-16 so that he can pursue master’s degree in sports science through sports quota. Youngest among five brothers, Raza soon developed a fondness for the sport, excelling both in studies and wrestling.
The finest moment of his sporting career came when he bagged 125kg bronze in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. “My grandfather’s brother Din Muhammad helped Pakistan win its first medal in the 1954 Asian Games. He finished first in flyweight category (52kg). My father Malik Imdad Hussain was a wrestler too, and he coaches Railway team. My brothers are wrestlers as well. I was the last to take up the sport professionally. Better late than never, I am happy I made a good choice,” Raza told this daily from Lahore.
The 24-year-old is among three Pakistani freestyle wrestlers, who will compete in the Asian Championships commencing in New Delhi on Tuesday. But it will not be his first visit to India. “I came here in 2016 for the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Tournament. I didn’t compete because I came late.”
Abdul Rehman, who was scheduled to compete in 74kg, was ruled out due to injury. Pakistani wrestlers were the last to be granted visas and the uncertainty has affected the team’s preparations. “It has been an issue for quite sometime now due to strained relationships between the two countries. It could have been better if we were not subjected to such uncertainty,” Raza said.
The Pakistan team is scheduled to reach New Delhi on February 20. Unlike the 2018 CWG, Raza will compete in 97kg. “It’s an Olympic weight category and I hope to perform well as the tournament will be followed by the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier. Qualifying for the Tokyo Games is my goal.”
Pakistan have won a wrestling medal in Olympics just once in 1960 Rome Games.
The grappler was not happy with the state of affairs in his country as wrestlers are forced to prepare on their own due to scarcity of funds. “I somehow managed to train on my own as I live in Lahore but other wrestlers are suffering due to mismanagement.”