Pakistan’s Islamic Games journey ends with nine bronze, three silver

KARACHI: Pakistan won four more bronze medals, three in wushu and one in zurkhaneh, to finish their Fourth Islamic Games journey with 12 medals, three silver and nine bronze.

On the penultimate day of the Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, Pakistan was expected to get a couple of gold medals in wushu but three Pakistani players lost their semi-finals to end with bronze medals.

In men’s wushu 52kg semi-final, Pakistan’s Zahoor Ahmed lost to Turkey’s Sadik Pehlivan 0-2 and had to be content with bronze.

In 65kg wushu semi-final, Ubaidullah went 0-2 down to Iran’s Foroud Zafari and secured bronze. In 75kg wushu semi-finals, Pakistan’s Maaz Khan lost his fight to Ayman Mohamed 0-2 and so got bronze.

“Our players were without an official. Our coach and technical official were not given the NOC,” Pakistan Wushu Federation (PWF) president Malik Iftikhar told ‘The News’ on Sunday. “How could the boys have done better without any official!” he said.

Pakistan’s Shahzaib (70kg) and Abdullah (60kg) lost their quarter-finals the other day. “Even I did not get NOC as manager. That created problems for our fighters,” he said.

In zurkhaneh meel bazi event, Pakistan’s Arbab Sardar Khan claimed bronze.

Afghanistan’s Shakib Ahmed Atahi got the other bronze.

Iran’s Pezhman Sokoonati claimed gold, while Khayyam Orujov of Azerbaijan secured silver.

In men’s Sang event final, Pakistan’s Zakir Ali Khan finished fifth out of nine contestants with 209 score.

In kabbadeh, Pakistan’s Niamatullah ended sixth out of eight competitors with 125 score.

In charkhe teez, Arbab Sardar Khan just missed bronze as he ended fourth with a score of 226.

Pakistan’s women table tennis team fell in the semi-finals and also in the bronze medal fixture.

In the semi-finals, Pakistan lost to hosts Azerbaijan 0-3. In the first game, Rahila Kashif lost to Xingtal Chen 4-11, 4-11, 6-11.

In the second show Pakistan’s highly experienced Shabnam Bilal went 0-3 down against Miao Wang with the game scores being 2-11, 4-11 and 1-11.

In the doubles, the pair of Rahila and Ayesha Iqbal lost to Chen and Ming 1-3 with the game scores of 4-11, 5-11, 11-4 and 10-12.

In the bronze medal fixture, Pakistan were comprehensively beaten by Turkey 3-0.

In the first show, Ayesha Iqbal went 0-3 down against Simay Kulakceken with the set scores of 6-11, 6-11 and 2-11. In the second meeting, Rahila Kashif lost to Melek Hu 2-11, 2-11 and 3-11.

In doubles, the pair of Shabnam and Rahila went 1-3 down to Kulakceken and Yilmaz with the set scores of 2-11, 5-11, 12-10 and 6-11.