KPK bag volleyball gold as Punjab continue QG dominance

ISLAMABAD: KPK men outclassed Punjab in straight games 3-0 to win volleyball title at the 3rd Quaid-e-Azam Inter-Provincial Games (QG) while in the women’s final Punjab edged past Sindh 3-1.

The Under-22 Games continued at the different centres of the Pakistan Sports Complex with KPK volleyball team displaying superiority, taking the gold in the men’s category. AJK won bronze in men’s volleyball with Balochistan getting bronze in women’s volleyball.

Punjab and Sindh made it to the finals of the women’s hockey winning their respective matches easily. Punjab overwhelmed Islamabad 14-0 with Sindh getting the better of KPK 4-1 in the second semi-finals.

In the kabaddi event, Balochistan beat AJK 64-55 with GB outplaying Islamabad 48-12. Punjab beat Sindh 55-24. In football, KPK defeated Gilgit-Baltistan 2-0 with Sindh women getting the better of GB 4-0.

Punjab dominated wrestling, winning eight gold medals. KPK won six silver and two bronze with AJK winning one silver and three bronze medals. Punjab also swept weightlifting gold medals, winning eight with Sindh and Balochistan winning three silver and two bronze medals each.

Punjab swimmers also won 15 gold and 12 silver in the men’s event. Punjab also won team event gold in men’s squash with KPK winning silver and Balochistan taking bronze medals. Punjab won four gold medals and two silvers in the boxing event with Sindh and Punjab getting two gold and two silver medals each.

KPK and Punjab share honours in men’s athletics, winning five gold medals each. Balochistan won one gold in men’s athletics. In women athletics, Sindh edged out Punjab with four gold medals. Punjab won three with KPK and AJK winning one gold each.

A total of 351 medals have been awarded so far, including 102 gold, 102 silver, and 147 bronze medals. Punjab leads the medals tally with 126, comprising 62 gold, 41 silver, and 23 bronze. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa follows with 60 medals, including 11 gold, 23 silver, and 26 bronze.

While Sindh has secured 46 medals, with 11 gold, 15 silver, and 20 bronze. Balochistan has earned 45 medals, featuring 12 gold, 10 silver, and 23 bronze, while Islamabad’s athletes have claimed 40 medals, including 5 gold, 6 silver, and 29 bronze.

The individual gold medal winner has got Rs20,000 each with silver medalist getting Rs15000 and bronze medalist getting richer by Rs10000 each. The Games are being organized at a whopping cost of Rs330 million.