Baig, Raees bag medals in Korea event

Pakistan athletes debut in Special Winter Olympics.

KARACHI:

Pakistan’s Rahimullah Baig won gold in the 800-metre and Muhammad Raees bagged a silver medal in the 100-mtre snowshoeing competition at the Special Winter Olympics 2013 in PyeongChang in South Korea.

The Special Olympics of Pakistan (SOP) sent four athletes for the first time to take part in the snowshoeing events that include running and walking competitions in the Games.

Baig won the medal by covering the 800-metre distance in three minutes and 33 seconds, while Macau’s Kai Chong Chu finished second in three minutes and 32.52 seconds and Yataru Matsuda took the bronze medal in three minutes and 44.78 seconds.

Similalry in the 100-metre race on the snow, Raees shared the silver medal with Stephen Cuthbert of USA, as both crossed the finish line in 19.25 seconds.

The other two athletes who are participating in the Games for Pakistan are Ubaidullah Jadoon and Arsalan Ali. According to SOP President Ronak Lakhani, the athletes had been training for the games in Islamabad for nine months.

She said that the funds of the participation in the Winter Games were provided by the Korean Special Olympics and the Special Olympics International to promote the Pakistani athletes.

“It is the first time that our athletes have participated here and it is very encouraging that they won,” Lakhani told The Express Tribune. “We are very proud of them. They have been training hard for the event. All the expenses of the team were borne by the Korean Special Olympics who invited us for the games, we just had to make sure that our athletes get the required training and they are prepared for the challenge.”

The Winter Games will conclude on February 5.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2013.