LAHORE: Punjab wrestling team overwhelmed their rivals with a great professional performance and clinched all eight gold medals in the 2nd edition of Quaid-i-Azam Inter-Provincial Games at Islamabad Sports Complex on Wednesday.
Punjab contingent continued its marvelous medal-winning performance added 35 more medals on the third day of grand sports event. Overall Punjab’s medals tally has reached up to 86.
In the wrestling event, Punjab’s Faizul Hasan won gold medal in 57kg category, Mohsin Ali in 61kg, Amaan Ahmed in 65kg, Intizar Hussain in 70kg, Hasan Mehmood Butt in 74kg, M Noman in 86kg, Tayyab Raza in 97kg and M Awais captured gold medal in 125kg category.
Punjab weightlifters also excelled in their respective categories and won four gold medals. Young weightlifters Farhan Amjad Butt Sharjeel Butt, Sohail Kaleem, and Sameer showed amazing resilience and bagged four valuable gold medals for Punjab.
In athletics, Punjab boys and girls grabbed 7 gold, 6 silver and three bronze medals. Punjab also pocketed one gold and a silver in snooker event, and two gold medals in men/women badminton competition. The tug-of-war gold also went to Punjab, which defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without much trouble.
Punjab kabaddi team qualified for final after defeating Islamabad in the closely contested semifinal encounter. In squash boys event, Punjab stunned Gilgit Baltistan and booked a place in the title clash while in girls event, Punjab reached final after eliminating Islamabad. In football event, Punjab toppled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the semifinal comfortably.
Secretary Sports Punjab Muhammad Aamir Jan admired Punjab’s remarkable performance in Quaid-i-Azam Inter-Provincial Games. He urged the Punjab athletes to maintain their performance in the remaining events and win maximum number of gold medals in the mega event.