Four medals in sailing — one gold, two silver and one bronze, impressive performances in badminton, tennis, table tennis, boxing, volleyball and handball
Sports Reporter
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa athletes are showing exceptional form at the 35th National Games underway in Karachi. The province made a remarkable start by winning one gold, two silver and one bronze medal in the sailing events. Athletes from KP also delivered strong performances in badminton, tennis, table tennis, boxing, volleyball and handball.
In the sailing competition, Hijab Ajmal secured a gold medal for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while the team’s overall haul of four medals strengthened the province’s standing in the games. Advisor to the Chief Minister for sports and Youth Affairs Taj Muhammad Tarand congratulated the team and announced that athletes delivering outstanding performances would be rewarded with special incentives and prizes.
In the men’s team event of badminton, KP defeated Islamabad 1–3 to qualify for the quarterfinals. In the first singles match, Murad Ali secured victory while the doubles pair of Danial and Umar Jahangir delivered an impressive performance. In the fourth doubles match, Murad Ali and Abdul Haseeb Khan sealed the win for KP.
In the women’s event, KP outclassed Gilgit-Baltistan 0–3 to qualify for the quarterfinals. Laiba Mushtaq, Haleema Sharafat, Marwa and Sapna showcased outstanding talent. Coaches Nadeem Khan, Hayatullah and Bushra are accompanying the team.
KP’s men and women tennis players have reached the semifinals while in table tennis, the women’s team defeated HEC to enter the semifinals and the men’s team beat Police. In boxing, KP’s Muhammad Aamir defeated his opponent from Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In women’s volleyball and handball KP secured comfortable victories over Gilgit-Baltistan.
Advisor to the Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs Taj Muhammad Tarand also attended the opening ceremony at the National Stadium Karachi, where he met players, officials and coaches. DG Sports Tashfeen Haider, Additional Secretary Peer Abdullah Shah, KP Olympic Association President Haroon Zafar and Deputy Chef de Mission Rahmat Gul Afridi were also present.
According to Advisor KP athletes will be awarded Rs300,000 for a gold medal, Rs200,000 for silver and Rs100,000 for bronze. He added that scholarships and additional incentives would also be provided to the players. The National Games will continue until December 13, with the medal race expected to become even more thrilling in the coming days.
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