Kiran grabs 15 medals in National Games

The 31st edition of the Games kicks off in Peshawar amid tight security.

PESHAWAR/KARACHI: A breath of fresh air was witnessed in Peshawar with the opening ceremony of the 31st edition of the National Games taking place in the provincial capital and providing respite from the terrorist attacks that the city has been witnessing of late.

Heavy security was witnessed at and around the Qayyum Stadium where Aamir Atlas, Pakistan’s squash hopes on the international circuit, lighting the Games torch.

The Games, twice postponed due to security fears, will field at least 7,000 players and officials comprising 15 squads, making it the biggest Games in Pakistan’s history.

Kiran wins 15 swimming medals

Kiran Khan became Pakistan’s fastest female swimmer when she bagged 12 individual and three team gold medals for Pakistan Army in the swimming event that concluded yesterday.

With Khan’s performance, Army dominated the event with 19 gold, 13 silver and one bronze.

Sindh finished second with five silver and 14 bronze medals as Wapda managed one silver, four bronze medals.

WAPDA held by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in football

On the opening day of the football event, Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) held national champions Wapda to a goalless draw in Group A.

Pakistan Railways drew 1-1 with Army as Zaheer Abbas scored in the seventh minute of the match for Railways only for Tanveer Ahmed to level seven minutes from time.

Navy, Army dominate shooting

Pakistan Navy and Army dominated the shooting event as the 50-metre Free Pistol and Double Trap Shotgun competitions concluded at the National Games.

Navy’s Tariq Manzoor bagged gold in the 50-metre Free Pistol individual event with 536 points and Shehzad Akhtar grabbed silver with 535 points. Army’s Kaleem took the bronze.

Meanwhile, Army took the top three positions in the Double Trap Shotgun event when Major Amir bagged the gold medal with a total score of 170. Colonel Sikhawat got the silver with 156 points and Captain Junaid finished third with 154.

Army won overall gold with 355 points in the Double Trap event and Navy secured silver with 303 points. Federal Rifle Association bagged bronze with 208 points.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2010.