THE crisp December air was festive at the KHA Hockey Complex as blue skies played canvas to clouds clouds imitating no less than an artist’s work.

The view above contrasted smoothly with the expanse of the deep blue of the astroturf of the venue, located in the midst of the sprawling Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

As buses honked relentlessly at the ever-bustling Nipa after having swished dust off the perpetually under-construction University Road, hockey took centre stage on the other side of the wall.

It was the day when the gold medal winners for the national sport at the National Games were to be decided.

There were no surprises; it were heavyweights Wapda and Army who added to their already stacked medals table to take the honours in the women’s and men’s finals respectively.

Each achievement was celebrated with maximum zeal, as the announcer shouted his heart out even for the silver medal winners Punjab and Navy.

The screams got louder as Wapda and Army received their gold medals.
It was a second gold for Wapda’s talisman Sidra Mateen, who scored both their goals in their 2-1 victory over Punjab.

She had already won a gold medal as a basketball player earlier.

“I started with cricket as most girls do but then stayed where my financial needs were met,” Sidra told Dawn after the final.

The 28-year-old lost the hockey final of the previous edition of the National Games in 2023, as a Punjab player was roped in by Wapda later on.

“As a young athlete, you just want to play anything you can, it’s all about passion,” she said. “But when you grow up, survival is the focus and a job with the department really helps.”

After the women’s final ended and the prizes distributed, the announcer requested the players on the field to “hurry up” off it.

“We have to conduct another match,” he would say, and the Navy and Army players would take on to the turf to warm up.

In no time, the whistle was blown, and the big match got underway. As a sparse crowd of spectators and dignitaries looked on, both sides stayed compact and took a counterattacking approach when the chances arrived.

It was hectic for three of the four quarters in both dugouts as coaches shouted instructions in thick Punjabi accents.

The drought was finally broken when Army scored via their third penalty corner through Mohammad Owais. Navy equalised minutes later from open play, thanks to Samad Habib but their dream for gold was shattered when Owais scored the winner in the dying minutes of the game.

As the Army players chanted, sang and danced, the Navy faces were flat and hanging down with disappointment and sadness.

The announcer was back in action, and the medals were distributed.
As the sun set, it left behind stunning hues of blue and orange in the sky.

The turf below, was now empty. But it had witnessed being part of the coming together of 11,000 athletes from all over the country in this city — the hustle of which continued as buses still honked and dust still rose at the Nipa stop.

Header image: Wapda players celebrate winning the women’s hockey gold medal. — all photos by author

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Pakistan’s international stalwarts led the charge as weightlifter Hanzala Dastagir Butt demolished the field to bag gold by a long shot, while badminton star Mahoor Shahzad won the women’s singles for the third time as the competitions drew to a close at the National Games on Friday.

Wapda’s Hanzala made each lift look effortless as a delighted crowd mostly comprised of team-mates and enthusiasts of the sport looked on at the YMCA Scouts Auditorium.

He lifted 157kg in the snatch and 193kg in the clean and jerk to post a massive 350kg total in the men’s 110kg category.

The 23-year-old is already eyeing next year’s Commonwealth Games, where his older brother Nooh Dastigir Butt clinched the +109kg title in record-breaking fashion at the 2022 edition.

“I take inspiration from him that one day I’ll also win a medal for Pakistan at that stage, and set a new record,” Hanzala told Dawn.

Hanzala’s gold was one of four on the men’s side in addition to one silver and bronze medal each to clinch the trophy.

“Our win makes me really happy,” team coach Ali Aslam said in a moment reminiscent of his days as a weightlifter, his journey cut short by injury after spending nearly two decades in the sport.

“But all our athletes here are fantastic; Army, HEC. It’s a huge deal that they were runner up, it’s been ages since I saw them have such a solid team,” Ali said of the higher education commission, who won two gold, as many silver and one bronze medal.

Coach Ali credits the team’s triumphs to the athletes’ dedication and a 52-day training camp ahead of the Games.

The appreciation was reciprocated by athletes alike, especially three-time national games athlete Nadia Maqsood, whose eight-year-old son looked at her in awe as she spoke to the media about her accolades.

She won gold in the women’s 86kg and clinched the masters weightlifting title and award for best lifter at an international meet.

Olympian Mahoor, on the other hand, was still getting a hang of juggling motherhood and training; being a multiple-time national champion was a piece of cake for her.

“My daughter is only 18 months now,” Mahoor told Dawn after claiming the women’s singles title. “Even at the international level, players take almost two years off as a maternity break. I made my comeback a bit quicker.”

Mahoor, the event’s poster athlete, fought back from a game down to defeat Army’s Alja Tariq and secure her third National Games gold.

The men’s singles final was an all-Wapda, contentious affair. Irfan Saeed staged a remarkable comeback from behind to down M. Ali Larosh 21-12, 21-19, sealing the match with a controversial line call.

“I think I was destined to win today,“ the 33-year-old Irfan told Dawn, who credited a month-long pre-event camp for his victory and now eyes qualification for the LA 2028 Olympics.

However, Army wrested control in the team events.

The duo of Raja Hasnain and Raja Zulqarnain broke Wapda’s streak to win the men’s doubles gold 21-15, 13-21, 21-15.

Army’s dominance continued as Ammarah Ishtiaq and Alja downed Wapda’s pair of Ghazala Siddique and Mahoor 21-12, 21-13 for the women’s doubles gold.

The mixed doubles title was also secured by Army, with Hasnain and Ammarah giving Larosh his third loss of the day.

The Army duo emerged victorious against Pakistan’s no 2 Larosh and Ghazala 21-19, 21-16.

Elsewhere at the games, Army extended their dominance in table tennis, baseball and men’s hockey, while Wapda shone in women’s events.

Army clinched the overall trophy in table tennis after commanding performances in the singles events.

Hoor Fawad outplayed team-mate and national champion Haiqa Hasan 3-0 in the women’s singles final, dropping just 25 points across the match (12-10, 11-8, 11-7).

In the men’s final, Ahmad Sajid edged past Shah Khan 3-2 after a tense, seesaw battle (8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 12-10).

Punjab earned their share of glory when Owais and Kulsoom secured the mixed doubles gold with a 3-1 win over Wapda’s Asim Qureshi and Sadia.

Army and Pakistan Navy split honours in the shooting events. Navy’s Aqib Latif topped the podium in the men’s 50m 3P rifle individual event, but Army responded strongly by claiming the team gold through the trio of Mohammad Uzman, Din Muhammad and Sarfraz Gul.

Army continued their surge as Umer Farooq captured the 25m centre fire pistol individual title, though Navy hit back with Maqbool Hussain, Abdul Quddus and Zafar Iqbal taking the team gold in the same discipline.

Army’s Farrukh Nadeem secured the double trap individual crown before pairing with Amir and Junaid to seal the team gold as well.

Army further consolidated their medal haul by defeating Wapda 9-7 in the baseball final at NED University.

In a high-scoring contest, Army held their nerve in the closing stages to complete yet another successful campaign.

Clinching the men’s hockey title widened their tally after a tense 2-1 win over Navy at the KHA Hockey Stadium.

Mohammad Owais scored both goals for Army — first converting a penalty corner in the 45th minute before netting the decisive field goal in the 58th, shortly after Navy had equalised through Essa Khan.

PAF found glory at the KPT Stadium in the football final, with Samad Khan’s goal separating them and Pakistan Army.

The tournament’s top-scorer netted the winner in the second half, getting on the end of a long ball that he let bounce before leaping highest to meet it with a header with the loop taking it over the goalkeeper and the despairing dive of an Army defender.

“I hope my performances here and the National Games gold pave the way for national team reckoning,” he told Dawn after PAF’s 1-0 victory.

As the competitions came to an end, with the closing ceremony on Saturday, Pakistan’s Olympic chief said the National Games were “one of a kind”.

“Nothing is bigger than the National Games for the sporting fraternity of Pakistan,” Pakistan Olympic Association president Arif Saeed told Dawn at the KHA Complex.

“We had 11,000 athletes participating in the games — maybe five athletes of them will go to the Olympics, if God wills then hopefully 10,15. An event of this scale, that brings the whole country together, is one of a kind.”

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Pakistan’s badminton queen, Mahoor Shahzad, lived up to her star billing with a gritty comeback victory to claim her third National Games gold on Friday, headlining a day of intense finals at the Nazimabad Sports Club, Karachi, that saw Wapda’s dominance challenged and a dramatic men’s singles decided by a contentious call.

The sparse crowd inside the complex was treated to high drama, beginning with the marquee women’s singles where the event’s poster girl, Wapda’s Mahoor, faced a stern test from Army’s left-handed dynamo, Alja Tariq.

Mahoor, initially off-rhythm, trailed 7-3 in the first game before her veteran composure surfaced.

Forcing errors and winning a breathtaking rally to level at 9-9, she edged a tight opener.

The second game was a fiercer battle. Alja, pumped and precise with her drops and smashes, surged to a 9-4 lead and held an 11-8 advantage at the mid-game break.

Facing a possible decider, the champion shifted gears.

She methodically reeled in the deficit, drawing level at 14-14 before racing ahead. From 18-17, she unleashed her signature weapon — a blistering smash deemed unreturnable — to secure match point and sealed the victory in similar fashion, raising a triumphant fist.

The victory, however, prompted the 28-year-old champion to reflect on the broader challenges facing Pakistani badminton.

“She [Alja] played a really good game but thankfully I powered through,” Mahoor told Dawn. “I’m very happy to win my third National Games gold.”

“We lack a bit in skills,” said Mahoor, whose favorite player is former Chinese Taipei star Tai Tzu-ying. “If our training techniques get better and we are given the same tools as international players, we can definitely compete with the best around the globe.”

She identified systemic gaps as the core hurdle.

“The infrastructure of sports is not at the top level in Pakistan. That’s the biggest hurdle,” the Karachi-born player stated. “We have to find courts and coaches on our own. The government should support us and make proper training facilities so we can prepare better.”

Balancing elite sport with motherhood, she added, is its own battle.

“My daughter is only 18 months now. Even at the international level, players take almost two years off as a maternity break. I made my comeback a bit quicker,” said Mahoor, who holds a post-graduate degree in Sports Management.

Her next targets are the South Asian Games and Asian Games, where she hopes to “win a gold medal for Pakistan.”

Offering advice to the next generation, she emphasised resilience and smart training.

“Winning and losing is part of this game and life. The important thing is you should learn from them and come out a better person,” she said. “Young players shouldn’t dwell all their time on the courts but focus on their body. Do more running and fitness, spend some time in the gym.”

The drama had kicked off earlier with an all-Wapda men’s singles final that turned contentious. Irfan Saeed faced M. Ali Larosh in a match where line calls were repeatedly contested.

Irfan took the first game comfortably 21-12, capitalising on Larosh’s unforced errors.

The second game saw a momentum swing as a frustrated Larosh found his range, building an 11-5 lead.

However, Irfan staged a remarkable comeback, clawing back from 18-15 down to level at 19-19.

At match point, he fired a shot towards the corner that Larosh insisted was out, but the line judge awarded the point to Irfan. The controversial call sealed a 21-19 victory for Irfan, who roared in celebration before performing a prostration.

Speaking to Dawn after the win, the 33-year-old champion reflected on the tense battle.

“It was a really good match but I think I was destined to win today,” Irfan said. “When Larosh had the lead in the second set, I thought I would have to play the next game. I don’t know why, but he made a lot of fouls on the short serves. It was to my advantage and gave me a chance for a comeback.”

He credited Wapda’s systematic preparation for his victory.

“Wapda setting up a camp one month prior to the championship gave me time to acclimatise and prepare better. I am practicing here for a month so my court adjustment and settlement was very good. That’s why I performed well,” said Irfan, who had defeated Pakistan’s No. 1 Murad Ali in the semi-final.

Now a three-time National Games champion and an 18th-grade officer with Wapda — a permanent job that allows him to focus wholly on his sport — Irfan has set his sights on a loftier goal.

“I really want to represent the country in the next Olympics,” said the Lahore-born shuttler, who idolises Malaysian great Lee Chong Wei.

However, he acknowledges the hurdle ahead.

“I need to participate more in international events to get a shot at the Olympics. That’s a battle that we have to deal with on our own,” he admitted, “as the federation is low on funds.”

The day’s narrative of Wapda’s ascendancy was disrupted in the men’s doubles final, where the Army duo of Raja Hasnain and Raja Zulqarnain broke through to claim gold.

They faced Wapda’s pair of Larosh — fresh from his singles defeat — and Awais Zahid.

Army claimed the first game, but Wapda fought back to take the second 21-13 and force a decider.

The final game was a tense affair, with Army maintaining a narrow lead throughout. Each of their points was celebrated with a roar, and with the crowd echoing every smash with a collective “ooh,” they closed out the victory.

The defeated Wapda pair threw their rackets skyward in a sportsmanlike acknowledgment before the Army champions raised their hands to a warm ovation.

the Army pair of Ammarah Ishtiaq and Alja continued Army’s charge in the women’s doubles final.

Alja got her lick back in the doubles as Army dominated the decider, defeating Wapda’s duo of Mahoor and Ghazala Siddique 21-12, 21-13.

Army completed a doubles golden treble in the mixed event, with Hasnain and Ammarah Ishtiaq overcoming Larosh and Ghazala 21-19, 21-16.

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