Pakistan boosts medal count at Special Olympics
Pakistani powerlifter Habibullah and sprinter Muhammad Luqman excelled at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin on Saturday, winning several medals. Habibullah won a gold medal in the +90kg category while Luqman was also on the top step of the podium in the 100m final.
Habibullah deadlifted 145kg to claim the gold medal. He also did well in the bench press, placing second with an attempt at 60kg, losing first place to Bulgaria’s Valeri Marinov in the M19 class. Her second silver medal was confirmed in the squat where she lifted 95kg along with the combined squat, bench press and deadlift.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Luqman did the country proud with his excellent result in the 100m sprint. He needed just 15.21 seconds to cover the distance, leaving him more than 20 seconds behind the athletes from South Korea and Cape Verde. Luqman also impressed with a silver medal in the long jump. Mirwais won silver in the 3,000-meter sprint, finishing on the podium in 10 minutes and 11 seconds.
Pakistani athletes have so far won nine gold, 13 silver and nine bronze medals. Pakistan’s hockey players also won medals on their World Games debut. In the mixed field hockey event, Pakistan ended their campaign in third place with a bronze medal after defeating Paraguay 3–2 in the six-team play-off for third place.
Swimmer Hassan Patel also contributed to Pakistan’s medal haul as he won bronze in the 50m freestyle. He was on the podium in one minute and 3.93 seconds. Sadia Junaid ended her tennis singles event in style and won the silver medal. The Pakistan national basketball team also did well in the men’s combined tournament, winning a bronze medal. Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP) fielded 87 athletes in 11 disciplines.
Published in EDP BLOGS on June 23,2023.
