Mahnoor snares Sindh's first gold

Promising girl lifts 5000m race walk title as National Athletics Championship explodes into action

Sindh's Mahnoor Fatima on Thursday was crowned champion of the women's 5,000 metres race walk event of the 54th National Athletics Championship which exploded into action at the NED University of Engineering and Technology on Thursday.

Mahnoor clocked 32 minutes and 32.40 seconds time to take the women’s 5000m race walk crown.

WAPDA’s Ammara Manawwar claimed silver, while Punjab’s Sawera secured bronze.

“It is the first day of the National Athletics Championship, and I won a gold medal for Sindh in the 5000m race walk,” Mahnoor said.

“I would like to thank organisers for holding this event. I would also like to thank my coach Nadia, Shahbaz and Abdullah for their support and guidance,” she added.

In the men’s 20km race walk, Waqas secured gold for WAPDA, with Navy’s Muhammad Younis Khan taking silver. WAPDA’s Muhammad Gulfam claimed bronze.

Sindh Home Minister Zia Hussain Lanjar will inaugurate the championship on Thursday (today) at 5pm. The event is being held under the supervision of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) and is being organised by the Sindh Athletics Association (SAA), with the support of Lok Sahaeta. A total of Rs9 million has been allocated as prize money for medal winners.

Teams from Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan Air Force, Navy, Railways, Police, four provinces Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan are taking part in the event.

Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem, national 100 metre record holder Shajar Abbas and Sindh's international sprinter Moeed Baloch are among the athletes expected to attract attention during the competition.