KARACHI: The Pakistan Army reached a remarkable achievement at the 35th National Games in Karachi by securing its 100th gold medal.
On Wednesday, athletes participated in intense competitions across multiple venues in Karachi. The day began with a 42.195 km marathon, starting from Mazar-e-Quaid and passing through various city districts before concluding at the National Coaching Center. Navy runner Shahbaz Maseeh won the marathon with a time of 2 hours and 25 minutes, earning gold. Wapda’s Sher Khan finished second, while Shoaib Akhtar of the navy took third place.
In the women’s athletics events, Faiqa Riaz of Wapda claimed gold in the long jump with a leap of 5.52 meters, marking her third consecutive victory in the event after winning previously in the 100m and 200m sprints.Additional athletic victories included Zamia Aazan of Wapda taking gold in women’s hammer throw, Aram Shahzadi of Wapda in the 1500 meters, Ghazala Ramadan of Wapda in the 100 meters hurdles, Osman Ali of Army in the men’s 200 meters, Muhammad Akhtar of Army in the 10,000 meters, and Ismail of Army in the 400 meters all earning top honors.
In the swimming pools, Army’s Ahmed Durrani continued his winning streak by claiming three more golds in the 800m freestyle, 200m freestyle, and the 200m relay. Wapda’s Hamza Asif set a new national record in the 50m breaststroke, while Arwa Nabi maintained her winning form in women’s swimming. Hareem also earned a gold medal representing Sindh.
Pakistan Army dominated rowing, capturing five golds and one silver across different categories, with the Navy securing two golds and five silvers.
At the women’s weightlifting event held at the Scouts Headquarters, Khadija Waseem of Army won gold in the 69kg category, with Saimah Shehzad of Wapda taking silver and Nazia Aslam of Sindh earning bronze. In the 86+ kg division, Nazia Aslam of Wapda secured gold, and Soniya Azmat of Army won gold in the 77kg category. Nadiya Maqsood of Wapda also added a gold in the 86kg class, while Medha Zehbar of Railways took silver.
In shooting competitions, Navy claimed four gold medals, with Army adding two more. The dominance of the Pakistan Army continued in karate, where both men’s and women’s categories saw Army athletes excel.Team events saw Pakistan Army triumph over Pakistan Wapda to win gold in women’s football, with the Army women’s team remaining undefeated throughout the league. The Army also defeated Wapda in the women’s softball final to secure the top spot.
The squash tournaments at the National Coaching Center are approaching their climax, with KP’s Maah Noor Ali and Army’s Zainab reaching the women’s final, while Noor Zaman of Wapda and Zahifha Ibrahim of Army advanced to the men’s singles final.
Overall, Pakistan Army has amassed an outstanding total of 113 gold medals in Karachi, complemented by 50 silvers and 34 bronzes. Punjab has secured 7 golds, while HEC, Sindh, and the Air Force each earned six. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa achieved four gold medals, Balochistan earned two, and Islamabad finished with one.
