QUETTA: Wapda’s women’s softball team bagged the first gold on offer at the National Games before their women’s badminton team, lead by Pakistan’s top-ranked Mahoor Shehzad, brought them more glory here on Tuesday.

Pakistan Army took gold in the men’s badminton team event and their women’s hockey team advanced to the final where it will face Wapda.

Madiha, Ayesha and Noreena scored three runs apiece as Wapda overcame Army by an innings and three runs (13-10) in the women’s softball final at the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences cricket ground.

Higher Education Commission took bronze, denying hosts Balochistan a first medal at the Games they are hosting for the first time in almost two decades, with a 21-4 victory on the mercy rule in the fourth innings of the third-place playoff.

Mahoor teamed up with Ghazala Siddique as the duo helped Wapda see off Army 3-0 in the women’s badminton final. Army’s hopes were ht in the first single when Alja Tariq retired while leading 6-5 against Mahoor, who then joined Ghazala in beating Manal Tariq and Umama Usman 21-15, 21-15 in the doubles. Ghazala then downed Ammarah Ishtiaq 21-14, 21-10 in the second singles match.

Army cruised past Punjab 3-0 in the men’s final, which was also played at the Saifullah Magsi Badminton Court of the Ayub Sports Complex.

Uzair Khan overwhelmed Abuzar Ras­heed 21-17, 21-14 before Raja Muhammad Hasnain and Raja Zulqarnain Haider crushed Abdul Manan & Burhan Yaseen in the doubles 21-10, 21-4 with Anjum Bashir closing the win with a hard-fought 20-22, 21-12, 21-17 triumph over Shahzaib Shabbir.

Army’s women’s hockey team will have a chance to avenge the defeats of their softball and badminton counterparts to Wapda after they romped past HEC 3-0 in their semi-final at the Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Hockey Stadium with goals by Saira Khanum, Sahil Malik and Taskeen Kasur.

Defending champions Wapda went a goal better as they outclassed Punjab 4-0 with Sidra Hakeem bagging a brace while Maria Sabir and Humaira Lateef got a goal apiece.

Wapda are also the holders in men’s hockey and they reached the semi-finals alongside Army, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan Air Force.

Wapda gave a measure of their strength when they crushed Balochistan 9-0 in their last-eight clash with Ijaz Ahmed getting a hat-trick and Romman and Rana Waheed hitting the cage twice.

Army had Waseem Akram’s three goals to thank as they overcame Punjab 4-3 while Abdul Rehman scored both goals as PAF ousted Pakistan Navy 2-0. Adil’s treble fired Khyber Pakhtunkhwa past Sindh 4-1.

At the Ibrar Hussain Boxing Hall of the Qayyum Stadium, the semi-final line-up took shape in various categories.

Punjab’s Adnan Butt and Shahab Khan of Pakistan Navy advanced into the last four of the men’s light-middleweight semi-finals with victories by unanimous decisions while Wapda’s Ahsanullah got a walkover and Pakistan Army’s Saeed Anwar downed Najeeb of HEC.

There were also unanimous decision wins for Army duo of Tanveer Ahmed and Saif-ul-Manan as well as HEC’s Israr Khan in the men’s middleweight quarter-finals, while Salar Abid of Pakistan Air Force overpowered Zubair Ahmed in round one of their bout.

Kaleemullah of Pakistan Railways knocked out Mohammad Saleem in the first round of their men’s light-heavyweight quarter-final with Bilawal Zia of Army, Wapda’s Amir Khan and PAF’s Ajmal Pathan joining him in the final four.

In the women’s bantamweight contest, Shahzadi Sakhi of HEC and Navy’s Asswara won by unanimous decisions with Army’s Dua Zehra and Faqeeha Saeed of Sindh joi­ning them in the last four after walkovers.

Balochistan’s Khalida Bibi and Faqeeha Saeed also reached the women’s flyweight semis after a walkover.

Over at the Ayub Sports Complex, the semi-finalists were decided in both men’s and women’s handball competitions.

Army beat HEC 27-12 to advance as Pool ‘A’ winners, with their beaten opponents joining them in the men’s semi-finals while Punjab progressed alongside Wapda from Pool ‘B’ after a 31-12 victory over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Wapda crushed Balochistan 39-6 and HEC thrashed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 26-6 as they advanced to the last four of the women’s competition from Pool ‘B’. Army and Punjab had already advanced from Pool ‘A.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2023