Boxer Fatima receives cash award

The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist was handed Rs2 million for her fine achievement

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan’s federal government has awarded boxer Fatima Zahra Rs2 million for winning a bronze medal at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Prime Minister’s adviser on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Rana Sanaullah presented Zahra with the cash prize and a certificate of appreciation at a ceremony in Islamabad.

Zahra won bronze in the women’s 60 kilogramme weight category at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, becoming the first Pakistani woman to win a boxing medal at the Games.

“Fatima Zahra is a source of pride for the entire nation and a role model for young athletes,” Sanaullah said at the ceremony.

He said her performance had given fresh impetus to efforts to develop boxing and expand opportunities for women in sport.

“Her success is proof that Pakistan’s daughters have the ability to make the country proud on the international sporting stage,” Sanaullah said.

The award comes as Pakistan seeks to strengthen its sporting infrastructure and improve support for athletes competing internationally. The government has said it wants to provide national athletes with access to modern facilities and international-standard training.

Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government was working to promote sports and give young people safe and accessible opportunities to participate in athletics.

He also said the government was focusing on expanding sports infrastructure at the grassroots level, with the aim of identifying promising athletes at an early age and providing them with quality coaching and training.