BAHAWALPUR: Former winner Nadir Magsi retained his first position in the qualifying round of the 17th Cholistan jeep rally near Dilwash Stadium at Derawar Fort in the desert on Thursday.
Nadir Magsi covered about 1.5-km long distance in one minute and 6.82 seconds, Dawn learnt unofficially from the racing track.
Dr. Raheel Siddiqui, a retired bureaucrat, who is one of the participants in the rally, told this correspondent by cell phone that Bahawalpur’s young racer of 4x4 racing club Zain Mehmood was adjudged second covering the fixed distance in a minute and 54 seconds. Adil Naeem bagged third position.
In the women category, Nida Wasti, Dina Patel and Palvasha Hayat Khan stood first, second and third, respectively. They covered the distance in one minute 23 seconds, one minute 31 seconds and one minute 33 seconds, respectively.
After the completion of the qualifying round, now the stage is set for the three-day jeep rally for which the flag-off ceremony would be held on Friday (today) at the desert venue.
According to TDPC officials, the total number of the participants is 135 besides eight women. They said the participants in the stock category would cover 231-km distance while the distance of 500-km for the prepaid category drivers has been fixed. The women participants for two categories will have to cover 130-km while the dirt bike race would be held on 50-km long track.
On the opening day on Friday, there will be a separate race for the prepaid and women classes. On Saturday, there will be race of the men and women participants registered with the stock category.
District Police Officer Abadit Nisar said strict security measures had been finalised for the event. According to PRO Jam Sajid, as many as 2,000 police personnel, including one SP, 17 DSPs with the personnel of Dolphin Squad, Elite Force and others have been deployed around the track.
On Thursday, the gathering was entertained by the dances of horses, camels, goats and sheep whose owners were awarded prizes by Commissioner Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and Deputy commissioner Irfan Ali Kathiya at the Dilwash Stadium.
A cultural night with the performance of a number of singers was observed on Wednesday.
Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2022
