Qasim wins SOP Half Marathon

KARACHI: Army’s Qasim Bajwa won the SOP Unified Marathon 21.5 km half marathon, organized by Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP) here Sunday.

The event witnessed huge gathering and showcased solidarity with athletes having physical and intellectual disabilities.

The marathon began from Governor House, passed through designated routes including Aiwan-e-Sadr Road, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, I.I. Chundrigar Road, and Merewether Tower, before conclud-

ing back at Governor House.

The marathon featured multiple categories, including a 21.5 km half marathon, 10 km race, 5 km race, 1 km unified walk, and a wheelchair event.

In the 21.5 km half marathon, Army’s Qasim Bajwa clinched the top position, completing the distance in 1h, 12 mins, followed by Wapda’s Faizan Zulfiqar second and Muhammad Sajjad third.

In the women’s half marathon, Natasha Hassan secured first place, while Sehrish Khan and Kaukab Sarwar finished second and third, respectively.

The 10 km race was won by Shakir Usman in the men’s category and Mahnoor Fatima in the women’s category.

The 5km race saw victories by Qandeel Sultan from Gilgit and Muhammad Ziaullah in the men’s division.

The event also included 1Km unified walk, joined by notable figures such as Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, Faysal Bank President Yousuf Hussain, Olympians Arshad Nadeem and Haider Ali, diplomats from Qatar, Turkey, Malaysia, Oman, and Iran, and SOP Chairperson Ronak Lakhani.

Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony held at Governor House, Governor Kamran Tessori emphasized Pakistan’s image as a peace-loving and sports-friendly nation.

Olympian Arshad Nadeem commended the special athletes, calling them role models, while Ronak Lakhani expressed gratitude and reaffirmed her commitment to supporting special children.