KARACHI: Olympic javelin throw champion Arshad Nadeem and national 100-metre record-holder Shajar Abbas are set to headline the 54th National Athletics Championship, which begins at the NED University of Engineering and Technology’s tartan track here on Thursday.

The four-day event, being organised by the Sindh Athletics Association under the supervision of the Athletics Federation of Pakistan, will feature teams from departmental and provincial units.

Pakistan Army will defend their men’s title, while Wapda will seek to retain the women’s crown. Other participating departments include the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Railways and police.

Provincial and regional teams from Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan will also compete in the championship, which carries Rs9 million in prize money for medal winners.

Seven gold medals will be decided on the opening day, including the men’s and women’s 100-metre titles.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2026