Yet another Pakistan Day passed this last week and the government again ignored Rana Mukhtar for the services he has been rendering, without any personal benefit, for the health of people, particularly the youth, for 64 years.

Rana Mukhtar, although in the advanced age of 84, is still a regular visitor of his Rana Health Club in Bagh-i-Jinnah which he had established in 1953. Rana Mukhtar is well-known to a large number of visitors of the historical Bagh-i-Jinnah.

Mr Mukhtar had established the health facility from his own limited financial resources in the Cosmopolitan Club, also situated in Bagh-i-Jinnah.

Later, he shifted his club from the Cosmopolitan Club to a new place in Bagh-i-Jinnah where he has provided bodybuilding equipment from his own resources. Since 1953 the people have been using the equipment without any charges.

On the Pakistan Day, the lovers of Rana Mukhtar celebrated the 64th anniversary of the club with zeal and fervor. Hundreds of club visitors were present to cut a cake and breakfast was also served, making the morning of Pakistan Day more entertaining for everyone.

Mr Mukhtar said that after the partition he realized that Pakistan needed an army of strong young men.

“With that idea in mind I decided to set up a health club to realize my dream. I went straight to International Sports shop on The Mall and purchased bodybuilding equipment with a sum of Rs300 from my own pocket,” he said.

He said: “Still at the age of 84 I am fit enough to take two rounds of the Bagh-i-Jinnah daily and then supervise all activities of my club.”

The Balijee International Bridge Championship started in Lahore this last week with 96 top players of the country are competing in it. The event has been an annual bridge feature of Lahore for 15 years. Unfortunately, the championship again failed to attract foreign players despite the invitation was extended to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan. Only two players from India and a team from Kuwait are participating in the event.

From Pakistan, 12 teams from Lahore, eight from Karachi, four from Rawalpindi/Islamabad, one team each from Multan, Hyderabad and Abbotabad are competing in it.

Aijaz Ahmad, a local businessman, has been holding the event in memory of his late father Muhammad Iqbal, who was also a national bridge player.

Sidra Sadaf, who won the First Women Open Road Cycle Race this last week in connection with the Pakistan Day celebrations, wants more such women cycling competitions.

She won the race covering 34 kilometres long distance in 55.46.79 seconds. The race was organized by the Punjab Cycling Association from Punjab Stadium-Gujjumata-Punjab Stadium.

Overall 44 girl students from public and private universities participated in the event. The top six cyclists were awarded trophies and cash prizes.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2017