Youth Festival : Wrestlers shortlisted for int’l games

1,276 people competed in division-level games of PYF.

LAHORE:

As many as 12 athletes have been shortlisted for Indo-Pak wrestling games.

Zameer Sultan and Hafiz Haider were shortlisted for the 65kg category; Hammad Butt and Usman Butt for the 75kg category and Faisal Jatt and Saifur Rehman were chosen for the over-75kg class.

Amatus Saleem and Somia Khan were selected for the 60kg category among women; Saadia Khalil and Seher Saleem for the 70kg and Tayyaba Khan and Nadia Irshad were chosen for over-70kg class.

Sports Board Punjab spokesman said a 14-day training camp for the teams would be organised.

He said a three-member male and female squad will be announced on February 23.

International competitions at the Punjab Youth Festival will started from February 26.

Pakistan will compete with India in arm-wrestling, mat-wrestling, bodybuilding, mud-wrestling, kabaddi, cricket, weightlifting and tug of war contests.

Division-level games

As many as 1,276 people competed in various events of the Punjab Youth Festival division-level games of which 226 moved to the next round.

In out of 304 contestants, 20 qualified for the next round. As many as 68 athletes participated from Sargodha Division and 17 were successful.

A total of 43 players took part in various events held in Sahiwal division and 20 were winners.

As many 857 participants competed in Bahawalpur division and 168 won.

In DG Khan division, one out of four participants was successful.

Wrestling contests

Ameer Ali was victorious in the wrestling contest. Wrestlers from Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib districts competed in the sports hall of the Punjab College of Commerce.

In the 65kg category, Danish Rasheed of Lahore defeated Muhammad Umar of Sheikhupura. Shahbaz Masih beat Hafiz Ali Zubair of Nankana Sahib in the 75kg class. In the open category competition, Ameer Ali of Lahore prevailed over Sheikhupura’s Abdur Razzaq.

Pakistan Wrestling Federation Secretary Arshad Sattar and Divisional Director Sports Malik Waqar distributed prizes among the winners.

The Gymnasium Hall of the Punjab University hosted taekwondo competitions where Mohammad Zeeshan of Lahore was declared winner in 55kg category followed by Muhammad Shahbaz of Sheikhupura.

The 65kg title went to Nankana Sahib’s Sarosh Anjum, who beat Lahore’s Atif Liaqat.

Lahore’s Sufian Ali won the 75kg category contest and Muhammad Khalid of Kasur was the runner up.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2014.