Pakistani athletes make nation proud in Special Olympics World Games

ABU DHABI: Athletes from Pakistan have delivered outstanding performances at the Special Olympics World Games 2019, winning a total of 61 medals in the competition being held in Abu Dhabi from March 14 to 21.

Pakistani athletes have bagged 18 gold medals, 28 silver medals and 15 bronze medals across 10 different sports, in which a total of 92 athletes from the country are participating.  

Shumaila Rubab bagged a gold medal in the 200-metre race. 

Maham Zehra won gold in 2km cycling event, while Imran Ghaffar bagged gold in the 2km and 5km cycling events.

Hur Mushtaq claimed gold in the 1500m race. A team of Hur Mushtaq, Noman Riaz, Ammar Shahid and Zohib Shahid also won gold in 4x100m race. 

Ammar Shahid won another gold medal in high jump.

Farzana Rehmat bagged two gold medals, in the short put and long jump.

Samreen Fazal won 500m cycling gold, while Amber Ikhlaq bagged gold in 3000m athletics.

Pakistan's men's football seven-a-side team bagged gold as well: Ahtisham Ahsan, Muhammad Khizar, Ghulam Nabi, Muhammad Anas, Muhammad Waseem Riaz, Tayyab Siddique, Raja Fahad and Muhammad Husnain.

Muhammad Affan and Imran Arif bagged a total of eight medals in powerlifting: Imran won four medals including one gold, two silver and one bronze whereas Affan took home four silver medals.

Pakistan's tennis team shone in the Special Olympics as well. Faisal Khan and Sajida Bibi bagged gold in singles, while the doubles team of Sajida Bibi and Eraj won another gold.

The duo of Hina Arif and Nimra Tariq and Muhammad Anas and Muhammad Faraz won gold medals in Bocce doubles.