Wish fulfilment: The key to a fresh start

Wrestling gold medallist handed keys to a new house.

MULTAN:

Commonwealth Games gold medallist in wrestling, Azhar Pehlwan, was awarded the keys to a new house on Tuesday.

Multan Core Commander Lieutenant General Shafqaat Ahmed handed over the keys of a new house to the wrestler during a special ceremony on Tuesday at the Core Headquarters in Multan. Azhar lost his house during last year’s floods. Following his historic win at the Commonwealth Games, he said that he and his family had no roof over their heads.

The wrestler said that winning the games was a source of immense pride for him and he had hoped to celebrate on his return home.

“On returning from the games I remember feeling very little to be happy about.

Even though the entire community welcomed me, I had no home to return to and my entire village had been destroyed,” he told the press. Last year, Azhar and his family had appealed to the government to assist them in reconstructing their home. “It has been a tough year for everyone. I am happy I could make my country proud but the devastation I saw around me was very demoralising,” he said.

General Shafqaat said “We are happy we can help the young champion and boost his morale.”

“In times of such trial this country needs to encourage and promote its young heroes,” he added. Azhar’s neighbour Shafqat said that the family had suffered immensely during the floods. “When he was about to return home his family was desolate. They kept telling me that they hated that their son would return to find out he had lost his home,” he said.

“When my son returned we had lost everything. We were living in one of the temporary camps but I remember the entire village gathered to hear the announcement of his victory on the radio,” said Azhar’s father Kareem. Azhar said that he was glad that his family had the opportunity to build a new life. “Now we have a home. I plan to personally help reconstruct the homes for others in my village. I realise that I am not the only one who lost everything  he had during the floods,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2011.