WAPDA retain national karate crown

KARACHI: WAPDA retained the crown of the 10th National Women Karate Championship which concluded at Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Wednesday.

WAPDA won five gold medals, one silver and two bronze to defend their title with 155 points.

Balochistan with 75 points ended as the runners-up. They clinched two gold medals, three silver and one bronze.

Army (70 points) stood third with one gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

Three events of kumite were conducted on Wednesday. In minus 61kg Sana Kausar from Army won gold, Ayesha Amjad from Punjab picked silver while Fatima Furqan from Sindh and Nargis from WAPDA secured bronze medals.

In minus 55kg Mahnoor Tauheed from Punjab got gold, Naz Gul from WAPDA clinched silver, while the bronze medals went to Arfa Farshad from Sindh and Surayya from Railways.

In minus 50kg, Fatima from Balochistan got gold, Anusha Khan from Army secured silver, while Maheen Babar from FATA and Surayya from Railways claimed bronze medals.

In team kumite, WAPDA won gold, Army secured silver, while Punjab and Sindh claimed bronze medals.

During the closing ceremony Pakistan Karate Federation (PKF) presented awards to 18 former karate players who rendered meritorious services for the country.

Those for whom the awards were announced were late Muneer Ahmad Dar, late Inamullah Khan, late Haji Muhammad Azam Ali, Mohammad Jehangir (PKF president), Shamim Hashmi, Syed Kamal Shah, Zia-ul-Haq, Andaleeb Sindhu, Naseem Qureshi, Farman Ahmad, Agha Nasir, Khalid Noor, Babar Iqbal, Ijaz-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nadeem, Mohammad Mamoon Khan, Tanveer Abbass Shah and Mehar Fayyaz Feroze.

MNA Shaista Malik and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) secretary Khalid Mehmood also graced the closing ceremony.