KARACHI: Defending champions Karachi Grammar School (KGS) lifted the trophy at the 22nd Palmolive Sindh Women’s Swimming Championship at the Karachi Gymkhana here on Sunday.

More records were bettered on the second and concluding day with several more highlights like some inspiring swimming by Special Olympics gold medalists Jasmine Sharif and Farah Vohra.

Also, the heads of most of the schools taking part in the championship came to witness the events and motivate the swimmers. The chief guest on the occasion, Ms Musharaf Hai, too, came early so that she could watch the events. And she was happy to see her old school emerge the champion.

The two-day championship featured 251 swimmers from 19 institutions.

“We got more swimmers that all the previous years this time and most of them were in the eight years and under category, which is a very good omen for us. I see many future champions among them,” said director of the meet Veena Masud.

Anushe Engineer, a class 10 student of KGS, who has just returned from the Asian Games broke several records and even bettered her own record.

“Well, I am in top shape right now because I had been in practice for the Asian Games earlier,” Anushe told Dawn. “I hope to take part in more international competitions including the Olympics someday,” she added.

Anushe broke records in open age 100M and 200M breaststroke and the 16 and under 50M, 100M and 200M breaststroke.

RECORD-HOLDERS Anushe Engineer (L) and Areeba Shaikh pose with their medals.—SH

Meanwhile, Areeba Shaikh of Karachi American School (KAS) broke records in the open age 50M freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke and 14 and under 100M backstroke and 50M butterfly and 100M freestyle in the same age category of 14 and under.

Simrah Nasir of KGS broke records in the open age 400M individual medley (IM) and 100M freestyle and the age 12 and under 100M breaststroke, 100M IM and 50M butterfly.

Rijaa Gazanfar of KAS broke records in the eight and under 100M IM, 25M freestyle and 25M butterfly.

Miraal Haque of Indus Academy broke the age 12 and under 100M backstroke record. Soha Sanjrani of Convent of Jesus & Mary broke the age 16 and under 100M butterfly record.

Results: Group champions

Rijaa Ghazanfar (KAS) in the eight and under age group, Sarina Diwan (Bayview Academy) and Arisha Lari (KAS) in the 10 and under age group, Simrah Nasir (KGS) in the 12 and under age group, Areeba Shaikh (KAS) in the 14 and under age group, Anushe Engineer (KGS) in the 16 and under age group and also the open age group.

KGS was the overall group champion with 404 points, KAS followed in the runners-up position with 282 points and Karachi Club was third with 81 points.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2014