Arshad Nadeem, Shajar Abbas Headline National Athletics Championship in Karachi
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 on Thursday, according to Dawn.
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.
Who competes at the National Athletics Championship
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.
Opening ceremony at 5pm
Sindh Home Minister Zia Hussain Lanjar will inaugurate the championship at a ceremony scheduled for 5pm, The News reported. The opening ceremony will feature a march-past by participating contingents, the athletes’ oath and the arrival of the championship torch. Athletes representing the participating teams have arrived in Karachi.
The News also named Sindh sprinter Moeed Baloch among the athletes expected to attract attention during the competition, alongside Nadeem and Abbas.
An earlier preview put the scale of the event at more than 500 athletes and 200 officials, making it one of the largest gatherings of track and field talent in the country in recent years, with a full programme of men’s and women’s events plus mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relays. The championship is being staged under the Lok Sahaita banner, the title sponsor of this year’s national meet.
Nadeem’s season in focus
All eyes will be on Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist, as he competes on home soil. Feature Pakistan has followed his season closely, from his gold-medal triumph to the championship where he missed the podium.
For the national championship, his presence alongside Shajar Abbas gives the Karachi crowd two genuine headline acts, and the opening-day sprints promise an early test of form for the country’s fastest men and women.
The athletics action adds to a busy week for Pakistani sport, with the women’s tennis team sweeping Bahrain in the Billie Jean King Cup and the cricket side beating Sri Lanka in the T20I series opener.
Frequently asked questions
When does the National Athletics Championship start?
The 54th edition begins on Thursday at the NED University of Engineering and Technology’s tartan track in Karachi and runs for four days.
Who are the star attractions?
Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem and national 100-metre record-holder Shajar Abbas headline the fields, with Sindh sprinter Moeed Baloch also expected to feature.
What is the prize money?
Rs9 million has been allocated in prize money for medal-winning athletes.
