April 24, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 17, 1429

PESHAWAR, April 23: NWFP with 41 medals clinched the overall trophy as Punjab swept away more gold while recording the runners-up position in the 2nd National Paralympics, which concluded here on Wednesday with a colourful closing ceremony at the Qayyum Sports Complex.

NWFP’s medal tally includes 12 golds, 14 silver and 15 bronze. Punjab’s 40 medals comprise 19 golds, 14 silvers and seven bronze while the Federal Areas who were third with 25 medals, got six golds, eight silver and 11 bronze. Meanwhile Sindh with 13 medals including two gold, five silver and six bronze, was fourth.

NWFP’s Asadullah Khan and Aysha Hamayun were declared the overall best athletes while Rozina Bibi and Mehnaz Aslam of the Federal Areas and Khatija of Punjab were jointly declared the best female athletes.

In table tennis (standing), Rizwan of Punjab defeated Babar of Federal Areas while Ayaz Ahmed of the NWFP won the table tennis wheelchair event. Muhammad Rehan of Federal Areas won the badminton title while Ayaz Khan clinched the power-lifting title.

NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti was the chief guest on the occasion. Also present were several officials along with a large number of special athletes and school students.

Later, while announcing a sum of Rs0.5 million for the organisers of the event, the NWFP chief minister also promised more activities for special children in the province along with an inter-provincial championship in November followed by the national games in 2009 for which plans to make adequate measures for facilitating the players were already underway. —APP