LAHORE: While eight Pakistani athletes who will compete in the upcoming Olympics tested negative for doping, the first batch of the country’s Tokyo-bound delegation departed on Thursday night. According to a press release issued on Friday by the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), which also handed out Rs100,000 cheques to each athlete in the Pakistan contingent, weightlifter Talha Talib’s dope test result was awaited because it was taken late on July 21 after confirmation of his participation under the quota system. Arshad Nadeem (javelin throw), Najma Parveen (200m race), Mahoor Shahzad (badminton singles event), Gulfam Joseph (shooting, 10m Air Pistol), Mohammad Khalil Akhtar (25m Rapid Fire Pistol), Ghulam Mustafa Bashir (25m Rapid Fire pistol), Bisma Khan (50m freestyle swimming), Syed Mohammad Haseeb Tariq (b (100m freestyle). Meanwhile, the Pakistan contingent’s first six members, comprising Mahoor, Gulfam, Mustafa, Khalil, Bismah, and Haseeb, departed Islamabad on Thursday night for Tokyo.