32nd National Games: Wapda stack up the gold medals

Athletes unconcerned by the legality of the event.

KARACHI: Wapda added 28 more gold medals yesterday in the 32nd National Games, increasing their tally to 76, while Sindh stayed in second and HEC regained third position on the fifth day with 14 gold medals.

Wapda’s first victory of the day came in the gymnastics individual events, where Khurram Shehzad was declared the best gymnast with three gold medals. He won the horizontal bar event with 9.5 points while teammate Mohammad Yasir took silver and HEC’s Khalil Mir bagged bronze. Shehzad also won the Roman rings competition with 12.5 points while teammate Mohammad Afzal secured silver and Railways’ Javed Murad finished third.

Shehzad collected gold in the overall gymnastics events with 72.75 points while Afzal won silver besides earning gold medals in floor exercise and parallel bars event.

Athletes declared that regardless of the controversy surrounding the event, they want to continue showcasing their talent. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

Although the National Games have been criticised by the Pakistan Netball Federation, the Athletics Federation of Pakistan and the Pakistan Boxing Federation, the participants said the importance of competition is the same for them and politics does not affect their spirit in the national competition.

“We are not concerned with the politics surrounding the National Games,” Shehzad told The Express Tribune. “The athletes need opportunities and platforms to compete.  I’m glad I won three gold medals, it doesn’t matter if anyone accepts the status of the National Games or not.”

Athletes declared that regardless of the controversy surrounding the event, they want to continue showcasing their talent. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

The National Games came under fire when Army, Navy and Pakistan Air force decided to boycott the event due to POA’s conflict with the PSB and the Supreme Court’s order in favour of the later that the office-bearer cannot hold a position for more than two terms.

Meanwhile, Wapda’s Nisar Ahmed won the 80-kilometre cycling road race while Railways’s Sumair Ahmed got the silver medal and Sabir Ali secured a bronze. In the women’s cycling events, Wapda’s Raheela Bano won her fourth gold medal in the National Games in the 30-km race while HEC’s Rashida Munir grabbed the silver medal and Wapda’s Misbah Mushtaq finished third.

Athletes declared that regardless of the controversy surrounding the event, they want to continue showcasing their talent. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

Meanwhile, Punjab defeated Wapda 1-0 in the women’s football championship at the games to clinch the gold medal and Sindh took the bronze medal.

Punjab won two gold medals in the wushu events with Shamsur Rehman defeating Wapda’s Mohammad Adnan in the 52-kg event and Kamran Khalid outplaying Balochistan’s Ismatullah in the 75-kg event to lift the title.

Athletes declared that regardless of the controversy surrounding the event, they want to continue showcasing their talent. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

But Wapda strengthened their position at the top of the overall rankings with more medals in the men’s shooting event. Mohammad Akhtar won the gold medal with 984 points while Mohammad Arif took the silver medal with 954 points and HEC’s Mohammad Shahzad finished third with 910 points.



The finals of the wrestling and athletics competitions will take place today.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2012.