ISLAMABAD
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Pakistan skiers created history by winning three gold medals and one silver in ski competitions of U-16 categories at Naltar and stood first in the boys’ competitions.
Higher Education Commission (HEC) clinched the Sadia Khan Girls' Cup. Interestingly, CAA skier Waqas Azam made first upset in the competition of giant slalom when he defeated top Army and PAF skiers who have recently won gold and silver from world dream programme of Korea. Both CAA teen-age skiers stunned the ski analysts who treated Army and PAF skiers as favorites.
Similarly in slalom category of Sadia Khan Cup, Ommaima Walli of GB Ski Association also recorded another upset in slalom category when she stunned HEC top international skiers Amina Walli and Fatima Sohail, who participated in the Asian Alpine Ski Championship. CAA Director General Air Marshal Yousuf Chaudhry and CAA HR chief Sumair Saeed announced special prizes for young skiers who brought CAA on top in the boys’ categories.
The two-day competitions of various categories of giant and slalom concluded at the Naltar ski sloop. In the giant slalom category (13-16 years boys), young skier Waqas Azam upset strong Jumma Mir of Army and Imtiaz Alam of PAF to won gold.
In 10-13 years boys categories of giant slalom, again CAA skier Abdul Razak won gold after beating Jamil and Saifullah both from PAF who secured second and third positions. In slalom category (13-16 years), CAA skier Waqas Azam won while Hussain Shah and Sulaman of PAF won silver and bronze medals. In the boys’ 10-13 years slalom category, PAF skier Jamil won gold whereas CAA skier Abdul Razak stood second and PAF skier Saifullah secured third.
In Sadia Khan Girls’ competitions of giant slalom, international skier Amena Walli of HEC won gold, GB Ski Association's skier Omaima Walli stood second and Neelum Sattar of PAF won third. In 10-13 years girls categories, Khuseem Sahiba of PAF won gold, Fatima Ali of GBSA second and Adeeba of PAF third. In 10-13 years, Khushim Sahiba of PAF won gold, Fatima Ali of GBSA silver and Asema Afzal of PAF bronze.
Talking to The Nation, SFP spokesman Obaid Ur Rehman Abbasi said that the competitions were concluded in professional manner and skiers from various ski associations and departments had shown discipline and sportsmanship. “We have discovered talent during the event and the federation will promote them with training and other facilities. For further promotion of the game across the country, the SFP president has decided to hunt new talent and provide them training and proper coaching to groom them for national and international events.”