Fountain House inmates get to play

9,797 athletes participated on the 7th day of districts level events.

LAHORE:

After prisoners and senior citizens, people recovering from mental illnesses at Fountain House also participated in various Youth Festival events on Tuesday.

Naveed Latif won the badminton singles among medical staff, followed by Basheer Khan and Nazeer Ahmad. Ahmad and Khan won the doubles match. Mudassar and Saleem stood second, and Mansoor Butt and Anwar third. Muazzam won the 200-metre race, followed by Irfan and Adnan. Waseem Shahzad won the 100-metre race. Zeeshan was placed second and Gul Ahmad third.

In women’s athletics events, Nadia Rehman emerged winner with Rubina Ashraf and Tehseen in second and third positions. Tasneem won the 200m race. Fozia Saeed got the second position and Rehana Kausar the third.

The table tennis singles title went to Fahad Basharat, with Saleem Aslam and Muhammad Aslam in second and third positions. Fahad and Saleem won the table tennis doubles title, followed by Aslam and Nazeer in second place, and Naveed and Rehman in third.

The women’s badminton doubles title went to Rubina Ashraf and Tahseen Kausar, followed by Nadia Rehman and Shazia Iqbal in second place, and Tahseen Zara and Fozia Saeed in third. In the men’s doubles badminton event, M Ali Khan and Shakeel Khan clinched the first position, with Abid Ali and Arshad in second place. In the men’s badminton singles, Naveed Tariq was victorious. Basheer Khan and Nazeer Ahmad won the second and third positions.

Ghulam M XI defeated Shahzad XI in a tug of war. In the staff members’ tug of war, Farhad Ali XI beat Noor Akbar XI. Shahzad Ali won the arm wrestling competition, with Atif and Hassan in second and third positions.

The chief guest, Divisional Sports Convener Mian Naseer Ahmad, distributed prizes among the winners. “The PYF has provided opportunities to persons living in the fountain house”, said Ahmad.

Iqbal Town defeated Lahore Cantt in the karate title, in which  Ashfaq Ali beat Imtiaz Ali. Amir Khan won the taekwondo competition, beating Yasir Ali. In the football quarterfinal, Cooperative Housing Society defeated Aziz Bhatti Town with score 1-0. Iqbal Town defeated Wagha Town to enter the semi-final.

In the healthy baby competitions held at the Hamdard Centre Lahore, Meerab won the title, followed by Veena Khan and Hussain Mehmood.

As many as 1,226 players took part in Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib Districts of Lahore Division, and 290 were winners. In the Rawalpindi division, there were fewer participants than in other areas of the province. In Chakwal, Attock and Jhelum districts, Here 363 athletes participated and 87 were winners.

A large number of athletes turned up for competitions in Bhakkar, Khushab and Mianwali districts, in Sargodha. Out of 717 participants 327 were winners. As many as 37 players participated, with 11 winners, in Hafizabad, Sialkot, Mandi Bahaud Din, Gujrat and Narowal. In Faisalabad, 1,212 players from Jhang, Chiniot and Toba Tek Singh participated, out of which 172 were winners. Out of 595 players, 125 emerged as winners in Okara and Pakpattan districts of Sahiwal. In Vehari, Lodhran and Khanewal districts of Multan, 272 participants won out 733.

As many as 922 athletes participated in Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan, and 266 emerged as winners. In Dera Ghazi Khan, 992 participants from Rajanpur, Layyah and Muzaffargarh districts appeared in the PYF events, out of which 319 won.

As many as 9,797 athletes , with 1,869 winners, participated on the seventh day of districts level events.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2014.