Star Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim has pulled out of the 20th Asian Athletics Championships due to a back strain, taking the sheen off the continental showpiece event which has already seen pull-outs by some of the top draws.
"Off for a while, Out from Birmingham DL (Diamond League) and the Asian championship, back injury," Barshim, the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist and current world leader, wrote on his Twitter page.
A Qatari official said Barshim wanted to compete in the here but had to think about avoiding aggravating his injury in view of next month's World Championships in Moscow.
"He wanted to compete in the Asian Championships but he has to think over the situation that he may aggravate his injury and World Championships is next month," he said.
The 22-year-old Barshim, who is also the defending champion, was one among the very few star attractions left in the Championships, which starts here tomorrow, after some top athletes of the continents decided to skip the five-day event to be held at the Shiv Chhatrapati Stadium.
Barshim cleared 2.40 metres while winning the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Eugene, USA last month to emerge as season leader in the world. He became the first high jumper since 2000 to clear 2.40 metres outdoors.
The biennial showpiece event will also miss the likes of London Olympics gold medallist triple jumper Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan, who recently gave birth to a baby boy, London silver winner discus thrower Ehsan Hadadi of Iran and reigning world champion and London silver medallist discus thrower Li Yanfeng.
China, who has ruled Asian athletics for the last 15 editions, has also come here without the likes of up and coming triple jumper Li Jinzhe and high jumper Wang Yu.
Japan, who has sent the second biggest team, are without the likes of world champion hammer thrower Koji Murofush and sensational teenage 100m sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu who ran 10.01s recently.
