Street Child Games: Pakistan finish as the best of the lot

Claim three more medals on Monday to take total tally to 13

KARACHI: Pakistan finished as the best team at the Street Child Games after bagging three more medals on Monday to add to their total medal tally of 10, which they claimed on Sunday, in Rio de Janeiro.

The team comprising Mehar Ali, Mohammad Naeem, Naseer Ahmed and Salman Hussain collected four gold, five silver and four bronze medals to finish ahead of eight other participating countries — India, Burundi, Egypt, Great Britain, Mozambique, Liberia, Philippines and hosts Brazil.



Naeem, Ali and Ahmed shocked their opponents on Monday to win medals in the 100m and 400m event, winning gold, silver and bronze respectively in both events. Naeem clocked an impressive 12.00sec to win the 100m sprint, while Ali and Ahmed finished second and third respectively.

In the 400m sprint, Naeem was the fastest athlete clocking 54.91sec, while Ali finished second (57.85sec) and Ahmed claimed bronze (58.65sec).

“What can I say, I’m just happy,” said Ali after the event. “I am somebody and I just want to celebrate that.”

The former Street Child Football World Cup star also impressed in the long jump competition as he jumped 5.12m to win the gold medal, while Ahmed took silver in the same event.

Meanwhile, Hussain led his team to a gold medal in the mixed relay event as the team clocked 58.53sec.



According to Azad Foundation — the Non-Governmental Organisation responsible for assembling and sending the team to Rio — official Irfan Maqbool, the performances put in by Pakistan stunned the world.

“We can just say that our children have showed everyone that we can pick ourselves up,” Maqbool told The Express Tribune. “We can win regardless of anything and even without any help from anyone.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2016.

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