Swimmers stroke their way to victory

LAHORE: Lahore’s best swimmers, girls and boys, came together for the All Punjab Age Group and Open Swimming Championship, organized on May 4th.

The event, a collaborative effort of the Shining Stars Club with cooperation from swim coaches and officials from across Lahore, offered swimmers of all age categories an excellent opportunity to compete and perform. Ali Sher won best swimmer in the men’s open category, while Mishael Hyat Ayub won best swimmer in the women’s open category. Other age group winners included Jehanara Nabi and Feroz Khawaja (under 16), Ameena Ameer Qadri and Daniyal Nabi (under 14), Zayna Ahsan/Sofia Khan and Mohid Lone (under 12), and Fatima Salman and Abdullah Shabbir (under 10). Insha Nawaz in the under 16 category stood out for her determination and effort. There was excellent competition in all the categories, particularly in the boys event. The turnout amongst both and female swimmers was high, creating a lot of colour and excitement at the well-decorated WAPDA Complex Swimming Pool. Flex banners depicting pictures of swimmers and LED screens added an extra edge of excitement. “For the sake of swimming, we tried to bring all swimmers together at one event. Only if they compete frequently without anyone being excluded, will swimming improve,” said Aurangzeb, one of the organisers and a senior swimming coach. Rafi Zaman, another organizer, said the high turnout was “very encouraging”. The participation and the excitement among all the contestants indicated we need more events which are inclusive, well managed and professionally organized. “I did not win any medals, but I really enjoyed swimming,” said Zoya, aged 9 years, who was competing in her first major competition. The spirit was shared by the swimmers, the organisers and the audience, with the event adding to Lahore’s increasingly busy swimming calendar.