Shajar Abbas Edges Ataullah in Thrilling 100m Final at National Athletics Championship
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
KARACHI: Pakistan’s national sprint record-holder Shajar Abbas secured a narrow victory in the men’s 100-metre final as the 54th National Athletics Championship opened at the NED University sports complex on Thursday.
Representing WAPDA, Shajar crossed the finish line in 10.20 seconds, finishing just 0.01 seconds ahead of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 19-year-old Ataullah. Haseeb Ahmed of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) claimed third place, finishing four-hundredths of a second behind Ataullah.
The closely contested final provided an early highlight of the championship, bringing together some of the country’s leading sprinters.
Shajar’s victory was particularly significant given his recent recovery from surgery for a tumour in his shin bone. The athlete, who holds Pakistan’s national records in both the 100m and 200m events, said his rehabilitation was still in progress and that he continued to experience some pain.
Despite those challenges, he returned to competition with his focus on upcoming international events.
Shajar said he hoped to compete strongly at next year’s South Asian Games, which are scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan, and aimed to win a medal for the country.
Ataullah, who recently represented Pakistan at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, also delivered an impressive performance. The young sprinter said he believed he was close to victory and remained confident about his future prospects in senior athletics.
In the women’s 100m final, WAPDA’s Faiqa Riaz successfully defended her title, clocking 11.56 seconds. HEC’s Khoula Omer finished second in 12.22 seconds, while Sindh’s Iqra Riaz secured third place in 12.24 seconds.
Faiqa entered the championship after competing at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. She also recalled facing food poisoning during her Asian Games campaign in Japan but continued competing despite the illness.
The sprinter credited her coaches, Gauhar Shahbaz and Fayyaz Ahmed, for helping her manage her training and return to peak form. She said she hoped to set a national record and win gold at next year’s South Asian Games.
The opening day also featured strong performances in distance events and field competitions.
Sindh’s Mahnoor Fatima won the women’s 5,000-metre race walk in 32 minutes and 32.40 seconds. WAPDA’s Ammara Manwar finished second, followed by Punjab’s Savera.
In the men’s 20,000-metre race walk, WAPDA’s Mohammad Waqas claimed the title with a time of one hour, 50 minutes and 4.1 seconds.
HEC’s Khadija Mehreen won the women’s shot put with a throw of 10.85 metres. WAPDA athletes also secured victories in the middle-distance races, with Nazia Ehsan winning the women’s 1,500m in 5:09.78 and Sohail Amir taking the men’s 1,500m in 3:55.40.
The organisers also confirmed that Pakistan Army and Pakistan Railways did not field teams at this year’s championship. According to the organising committee, the Army’s participation remained subject to departmental approval, while Pakistan Railways was unable to send an athletics contingent.
The championship brings together athletes from different departments and regions, providing a platform for emerging talent and established competitors to test their performances ahead of future national and international events.
