Bradford athlete Zaf Shah will be at the Commonwealth Games this summer, Athletics Reporter DAN RUTSTEIN finds out more about the 10,000m runner

At 5am in the morning, Pakistan's first British-born international athlete goes running with boxer Junior Witter.

It is the first of two training runs a day for Zaf Shah, qualified chemist and former Taekwondo international.

On top of six days a week of this, he has five nights a week of circuits as well as two sessions a week of kick-boxing.

He is in the peak of physical fitness, but he needs to be to fulfil his desire to be a role model for youngsters. And so far, so good.

He is a youngster from the "street" who has had cricket trials with Yorkshire, played in the Bradford Cricket League for Lidget Green and has even skippered the Great Britain Taekwondo team.

As well as his sport, he is a part-time worker at a chemist.

And it was his work as a prescribory adviser at a chemist in Guiseley that led him into the company of former British Olympic coach Wilf Paish.

"I was talking to a woman at work who said her father was a coach," said Zaf, who has chosen to represent Pakistan as a protest against the lack of investment in the north by the sports council.

"I rang him up and it turned out to be Wilf, who has trained the likes of Tessa Sanderson and things have flourished from there. We hit it off straight away and he has knocked 13 minutes off my time."

Zaf comes across immediately as a very genuine, enthusiastic and ambitious young man.

Sitting perched on his chair at the Bradford University Sports Centre where he trains, adorned in his Mumtaz-sponsored tracksuit, he looks like an athlete keen to achieve.

"I am doing this to set an example to young people in this city," he enthuses. I want to show young Asians in Bradford what they can achieve if they put their minds to it.

"It has been a difficult 12 months in this city, and I want to do something positive to put the city on the map for the right reasons. If Gareth Gates can provide a positive vibe in the city through his achievements, then there is no reason why I can't through a good performance in Manchester."

Zaf, whose training schedule is scaled down during Ramadan, is hoping to use the Commonwealth Games as a launch pad for his career.

"This is my immediate target," said Zaf, who has been asked by local schools to come in and offer coaching advice. If things go well and I can continue to put in the training required, I will be looking at the Olympics and the World Champions."

Sponsors Mumtaz and Viatris Intelligent Health Solutions (a chemist contact), ensure that Zaf can afford to only work part-time. Outside his training commitments and work, he has time for little else apart from spending quality time with his fiancee Lisa.

"She is a Harrogate lass and she is unbelievably supportive," he said, eyes gleaming. They say that behind every successful man is a strong woman, and I certainly have that."

Both Mumtaz and the Pakistan sporting authorities have indicated that they might be willing to lay on coaches to take Bradford fans to Manchester to watch Zaf in action.

Which should ensure a good atmosphere and a chance for the athlete to make his mark, on and off the track.