Haider Ali (athlete)


Haider Ali is an all-around Pakistani para-athlete who created history at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China by winning the country's first ever Paralympic games medal, a silver. He also shared a new world record with his jump of 6.44 meters at the Games.

Beijing Paralympics 2008

Haider, who suffers from cerebral palsy, took part in F-37/38 Category men’s long jump and covered a distance of 6.44 meters, winning a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Paralympics. A Tunisian athlete, Farhat Chida, who covered the same distance, won a gold medal because he made six successful jumps overall, whereas Haider’s second and fifth jumps were rejected but he managed to equal Chida in his last attempt.
Both Haider and Farhat Chida scored a total of 1104 points each through their 6.44 meter jump, which is also a new world record in the games for people with disabilities.
In addition to T-38 Category, Haider also participated in three other events. In the 100 meter T38 sprint he was ranked ninth among nine runners, in the 200 meters against 7 runners he came in fifth and in the Discus Throw F37/38, where he was close to winning a bronze medal but his points tally of 986 fell just seven short of Dong Xia of China, who compiled 1003 points and took third place.

2010 Asian Para Games

Ali won two medals at the 2010 Asian Para Games held in Guangzhou, China. Ali won gold in F 38 Long jump event and a bronze in the T-38 100m.

Career

Previously, Haider Ali has won a gold medal for Pakistan in the long jump event at the KL’06 FESPIC Games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November–December 2006.