Key Takeaways
- Sana Arif and Anisha Ali became Pakistan's first women triathletes at the Asian Games.
- Their journey began with Sana learning to swim in 2021.
- The team includes male athletes Ali Hassan, Mohid Sadiq Lone, and Muhammad Mustaghis Noor.
Pakistani athletes Sana Arif and Anisha Ali made history at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, becoming the first women from Pakistan to compete in the triathlon event.
Sana Arif, born in Kuwait and raised in Lahore before returning to Kuwait, had only started swimming in 2021 and went on to complete three Ironman 70.3 races, a grueling endurance event combining swimming, cycling, and running.
Anisha Ali, from Gilgit-Baltistan, brought a diverse sporting background, having competed in judo, martial arts, rowing, boating, tug-of-war, and fencing, but found triathlon presented a new challenge.
Their journey to the Asian Games began almost by chance when Sana received a call from the Pakistan Triathlon Federation after a friend told her about trials for the Asian Games team.
Despite the lack of a comprehensive national training programme, Sana trained largely on her own, with regular check-ins from the federation president.
The team, which also includes male athletes Ali Hassan, Mohid Sadiq Lone, and Muhammad Mustaghis Noor, marks a significant milestone for Pakistan in the sport of triathlon.
For Sana, the selection was a first, as Pakistan had never before sent women to compete in the Asian Games triathlon event.
The team chemistry was still forming, with Sana and Anisha only getting to know each other properly during the trials, as they were too busy with the selection process.
Their participation at the Asian Games is a testament to their determination and the growing interest in triathlon in Pakistan.
