Electrifying start of 4th Inter-provincial Games
Hosts Khyber Pakhtunkhwa grab 10 gold medals in Taekwondo and a team gold medal in the squash final event in 4th Inter-provincial Games at Qayyum Sports Complex, Peshawer.
The 4th edition of the Inter-Provincial Games under the aegis of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and with the collaboration of Directorate General Sports KP and KP Olympic Association got under way here with great enthusiasm witnessed among the participating players.
President Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Lt. Gen Arif Hassan inaugurated the games in a simple but impressive mannner. A total of 1700 athletes and more than 160 officials are participating in 25 different disciplines of sport comprising archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, bodybuilding, gymnastics, handball, hockey, ju-jitsu, kabaddi, karate, rowing, rugby, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, tug-of-war, volleyball and weightlifting with 11 disciplines for women and 25 for men.
The colorful opening included a smart March Past with international medal-winning wrestler Inayat Ullah carrying the national flag, followed by a FC contingent holding the Olympic Flag. Double gold medalist Khalid Noor formally flamed the Games’ torch. Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad and Jammu Kashmir and Fata are featuring for the first time in the Games.
Hosts Khyber Pakhtunkhwa grabbed 10 gold medals in Taekwondo and a team gold medal in the squash event in 4th Inter-provincial Games at Peshawer .KP also won nine silver and three bronze medals securing 256 points while Punjab gathered 156 points with three gold, nine silver and four bronze medals. Fata are third with 146 points after winning four gold, one silver and 16 bronze medals. Sindh are in fourth position with three gold, two silver and 10 bronze medals.
In the squash team event Komal Khan defeated Noor-ul-Ain 11-6, 7-11, 11-8 and 12-10. KP’s Nimra Aqeel lost to Aiman Shahbaz of Punjab in straight sets the score was 11-6, 11-4 and 11-6. Laiba Ijaz defeated Punjab’s top seed Sidqa in a thrilling 3-1 win. The score was 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 and 11-7.
In the individual event, the current Under-19 Champion komal defeated Noor-ul-Ain by 11-8, 11-6 and 11-9 and moved to the final while Laiba lost 3-1 to Aiman Shahbaz in the semi-finals. Komal defeated Noor-ul-Ain in the first semi-final and Aiman defeated Nimra in the quarter-finals.
