Just four days before the National Games basketball event was set to tip-off, the Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) was told the venue was gone. With teams arriving and no court to play on, the event itself was in jeopardy.

“We arranged everything in almost two days,” PBBF secretary Yaqoob Qadri told Dawn, revealing a significant off-court challenge. “There were some people who don’t want the event to happen.”

Yet, on Sunday, the roar of a packed crowd for the Army-Sindh clash at the North Nazimabad Gymkhana in Karachi was the definitive answer. Against a backdrop of administrative hurdles, the players delivered a classic on the hardwood: a tale of Army’s clinical system slowly dismantling Sindh’s passionate home stand, culminating in a 97-62 victory.

The roar in the arena was for Sindh. Every steal, every basket by the home team sent waves of noise crashing onto the court. But standing across from that passion was the cold, tall geometry of the Pakistan Army team. What unfolded was a classic clash of heart versus system.

The start was all Sindh. Feeding off the overwhelming home support, they edged a tight first quarter 6-4. Army’s towering presence, anchored by the 7’3“ frame of Taglub Ammar, was a problem.

“We took our competition lightly that’s why Sindh edged us in the first quarter,” Taglub admitted to Dawn.

Army’s top-scorer Shiraz Aslam, who initially missed some of his three-point shots struggled in start found his rhythm.

Sindh’s in-game leader, Ans Azhar, pinpointed the turning point.

“In the first quarter we started brilliantly and I guess that’s where we spent most of our energy,” he told Dawn. “In the second quarter when that wave passed we couldn’t keep the same intensity and that’s where they hurt us.”

That hurt was methodical. Army began dominating the second balls, converting rebounds into points and punishing every seldom mistake.

The tall player was no longer just a threat; he became the central piece of an unsolvable equation.

“We were to some extent not able to overpower them in some exchanges,” Ans conceded. “I wouldn’t say that it was a total mismatch but Army’s athletes are fittest of our country.”

By halftime, Army led 15-12. By the third quarter, the lead had swelled to 20. The crowd, still raising the roof, willed a comeback, but Army had locked in.

“We came prepared and were always confident of the comeback,” Shiraz said, who revelled in the electric atmosphere. “This is what we play for… The atmosphere today made the match very exciting.”

The final quarter was a formality, the gap insurmountable. Sindh’s physical effort, which saw them “commit too many fouls” and give away nearly 20 points from the line, was a testament to their fight.

“Against a team like Army you can’t shy away from those duels,” Ans stated. “We were very physical in the game… you play to win no matter what.”

Despite the loss, Sindh’s leader found perspective and promise.

“Obviously wasn’t the result we wanted… but we are still a work in progress,” Ans said, already looking ahead. “But one thing that I can ensure is that it will be improved and [we will] beat those professional sides at the top level with the same bunch.”

A theme of dominance

The men’s result echoed through the women’s bracket, where professional department teams showcased their structural advantage. The Army women routed Balochistan 56-6, while Wapda, the most dominant force in women’s basketball, cruised past Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 66-24.

For Wapda’s Kainat Zafar, the win was a controlled step towards the gold.

“We were trying to conserve our energy and avoid injuries,” she explained while talking to Dawn. “We tried to stick to the basics.”

She credits their dynasty to chemistry built over years together as a department — a key edge over provincial sides.

“The chemistry among the players is what I think keeps us on the top,” she said.

Yet, even in dominance, there’s respect. “Our main rivals are always Army,” Kainat noted, setting the stage for the tournament’s likely climax.

Pakistan Army served a powerful reminder of their sporting prowess, seizing 12 gold medals across multiple disciplines as the National Games charged through a pulsating day of action.

Their goldrush on Sunday was spearheaded by utter dominance in taekwondo and sharp shooting on the ranges.

The clearest demonstration of authority came in the taekwondo Poomsae events, where Army fighters ruled the roost, clinching eight gold medals across age categories.

Their women set the tone: Sana Sabir (Under-50), Naila (U-30), Mehar-Un-Nisa (U-40) and Zeena Sheraz (Under-20)  all stood atop the podium. The men followed suit with Adil Hussain (U-30), Mohammad Mumtaz (U-40), Irshad Ali (U-50) and Syed Zohaib (U-20) securing their own golds.

On the shooting ranges, Army and Navy engaged in a high-class duel, sharing three gold medals apiece.

Navy swept the 10m air pistol events, with Rabia Kabir (232.2) edging Army’s Rimsha Nadeem (231.6) for individual glory before teaming with Rasam Gul and Hadia Liaquat for team gold.

Army struck back in the 25m rapid fire pistol through Mohammad Shabbir while Navy’s G. M. Bashir, Maqbool Hussain and Abdul Quddus took the team title.

Army also claimed both skeet Olympic titles, with Imam Haroon (score 49) leading the charge.

Sindh’s first gold

The day’s most dramatic narrative unfolded away from the established powers, as the Sindh women’s netball team rose above a feisty, fractious final to secure a domineering 20-12 victory over favourites Wapda, claiming a statement gold — a first for the contingent.

It was a triumph of provincial grit over a departmental side with year-round training access.

“That makes this even better,” Sindh skipper Quratulain told Dawn. Team-mate Huma echoed the hunger for more support: “We’ll go a long way if we get that opportunity.”

The match itself descended into chaos. After Sindh seized a 13-9 half-time lead, the stifling heat seemed to boil over.

A third-quarter collision escalated into a shoving match. In the final quarter, a Wapda player made an expletive gesture, inciting the crowd. Sindh held their nerve, but sportsmanship evaporated at the final buzzer.

Handshakes were skipped, and an hour later, a sullen Wapda and bronze-winning Army drowned out Sindh’s celebrations with chants of “losers, losers!”

“The girls need their own court,” said Sindh coach Humaira Huma, a pioneer of Pakistan’s first national team. “Today was just a month’s practice. Imagine what they could do.”

In stark contrast, the men’s final was a pure sporting contest, with Army staging a last-gasp comeback to clinch gold 27-26 against Navy.

Hosts overwhelmed

On the basketball court, Army’s men showcased their systemic power, overcoming a raucous home crowd to dismantle Sindh 97-62.

Sindh started strong, leading 6-4 early. “We started brilliantly, but I guess that’s where we spent most of our energy,” Sindh’s leader Ans Azhar told Dawn.

Army’s towering 7’3“ center, Taglub Ammar, proved unsolvable. “We took the competition lightly initially,” Taglub conceded. Once settled, Army took control, leading 15-12 at halftime and stretching it to 20 by the final quarter.

Top-scorer Shiraz Aslam revelled in the atmosphere: “This is what we play for… The crowd made the match very exciting.”

Sindh’s physicality cost them nearly 20 points from free throws.

“We were very physical… you play to win,” said Ans, who vowed improvement: “We will beat those professional sides.”

In women’s basketball, the powerhouses marched on.

Army delivered a merciless 56-6 rout of Balochistan while Wapda, led by Kainat Zafar, powered past Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 66-24.

“We were trying to conserve energy and avoid injuries,” said Kainat, highlighting Wapda’s key advantage. “This chemistry is the advantage we have over provincial teams.”

Crushing win

Other sports saw their opening salvos. In a staggering display, Wapda’s women’s hockey team crushed Balochistan 18-0, with ten players on the scoresheet.

On the badminton courts, stars like Mahoor Shahzad (Wapda) and Palwasha Bashir (Sindh) led their teams comfortably into the semi-finals.

Army and Punjab also ensured progress with dominant wins.

Murad Ali (KP), Pakistan’s number one, led his team into the last-four in the men’s section as his side beat Railways to advance in the semis.

Army and Police also confirmed their berths in the next round.

The fencing mat witnessed a historic gold for the Higher Education Commission (HEC), delivered by Abdul Mussawir, who dashed Balochistan’s title hopes in the final.

Other sports that kicked off on Sunday included, rugby, volleyball, baseball, softball and table tennis.

Action continues across Karachi on Monday, with Army’s golden machine looking to build on a formidable lead, and provincial sides like Sindh aiming to channel their fighting spirit into more podium finishes.

With national gold on the line, the tension had given way to aggression, physical altercations to verbal spats and obscene gestures. The Sindh women’s netball team, however, rose beyond it to secure glory at the end of it all with a domineering 20-12 victory over Wapda in a fiesty final at the National Games on Sunday.

It was a statement triumph; the provincial side overcoming their departmental opponents who have access to training all year round.

“And yet, we beat them to win gold which makes this even better,” Sindh skipper Quratulain told Dawn.

Teammates Kareema and Huma echoed Quratulain’s words.

“We’ll definitely go a long way if we have that opportunity of year-round training camps and competition,” Huma told Dawn, with Kareema nodding in agreement alongside her.

For Sindh coach Humaira Huma, who took the players under tutelage just this year, her side’s victory was a sign that more needed to be done.

“We need to give these girls a court of their own so they can train and perform even better than what you saw today, which was a product of just a month’s worth of practice,“ said Humaira, who was a member of the first Pakistan national team that competed internationally.

Sindh seized a narrow 7-6 lead in the first quarter against Wapda and had the modest but noisy crowd in raptures when they extended their lead to 13-9 at half-time.

With Wapda chasing the game in the stifling heat typical of Karachi’s winter afternoons, the animosity reached fever pitch with a collision between two players in the third quarter. One Wapda player charged at her opponent and shoved her while screaming in her face. The ensuing fight, reminiscent of a schoolyard scuffle, was quickly broken.

Then, in the final quarter, Wapda’s goal keep made an expletive hand gesture, prompting a strong reaction from the crowd even though the referee was unmoved.

But by then, Sindh were almost over the line with the full-time buzzer sparking wild celebrations from the Sindh players.

There were no handshakes between the teams and the unsportsmanlike conduct multiplied by the time the medal ceremony took place an hour later with a sullen Wapda team cheering for themselves as Sindh were being handed the champions trophy.

Both Wapda and third-place winners Army drowned out Sindh’s celebratory slogans with their own cheers of “losers, losers!”
The men’s final between Army and Navy was devoid of any theatrics; players accepting their technical faults and kept arguments with referees to a minimum.

Army had the slightest of leads over Navy with a 16-15 score at half time but Navy turned the tables in the third quarter to go up 24-22.

Army, however, shifted gears in the final quarter and brilliant play during the power play secured them the gold medal in the last two minutes of the match with a 27-26 triumph.

Netball was one of the few events that began before the opening ceremony on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the men’s bronze-medal match took place between Wapda and Police. A Michael Jordan-esque leap saw the Wapda Goal Shoot cleanly dunk the ball in the net during a convincing 30-19 win.