Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL
Two young karate athletes from Khyber district have brought laurels to Pakistan by winning silver and bronze medals at the World Karate Championship held in Russia under the auspices of the All Karate Federation of Russia.
Black balt, Ali Rehman Shinwari, secured second position and won a silver medal, while Hassan claimed third position and a bronze medal in the Kata category, showcasing their skills at the international-level competition.
The achievement was attributed to the guidance, training and efforts of Branch Chief Sensei Noor Aslam and Sensei Hayat Nazir of the Kyokushin-kan International Karate Organisation Pakistan, who supervised and prepared the athletes for the championship.
Ali Rehman told The News during a gathering arranged to honor and applaud the Khyber Karate players winning at international event that they received no financial assistance from the government to participate in the international event, raising concerns about the lack of institutional support for talented sportspeople from the region.
The Khyber Karate players, coaches organisers expressed gratitude to Khyber Rifles Commandant Saeed Ahmed for extending financial assistance to the young athletes. They expressed hope that he would continue his support and encourage the players following their recent international success.
They also appealed to the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments, as well as philanthropists, to support and financially assist the Karate players so they could continue representing Pakistan in international competitions.
The achievement has been widely regarded as a source of pride for Khyber district and Pakistan, highlighting the talent of young people from the region despite limited financial resources and institutional support.
