KARACHI: The 35th National Games witnessed fierce competition across multiple arenas on Sunday, with the Pakistan Army and Navy asserting their dominance in shooting, while several provincial and institutional teams celebrated historic first gold medals.
In a display of marksmanship prowess, the Army and Navy each secured three gold medals in shooting events. Navy’s Rabia Kabir claimed the women’s 10-meter air pistol individual gold, with her team also winning the team event. For the Army, Shabbir triumphed in the men’s 20-meter rapid fire pistol event.
Beyond the range, Sindh secured its first gold of the Games by defeating WAPDA in the girls’ netball final. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) also celebrated a maiden gold, won by Abdul Masoor in the men’s individual fencing event. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hijab Ajmal earned a gold in sailing’s ILCA 6 class, while the Air Force dominated several other sailing categories.
The Army continued its winning streak in other sports, securing gold in men’s netball, skate Olympics through Inam Haroon, and judo, where Olympian Shah Hussain Shah was among its victors. Competitions in rugby, badminton, and table tennis also commenced, featuring Olympians like Mahoor Shahzad.
The day’s results underscored the wide competitive spread of the Games, with both traditional powerhouses and emerging contenders making their mark on the national sporting stage.
Meanwhile the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has been urged to initiate immediate preparedness measures after Balochistan recorded a severe 41.9% deficit in rainfall over the last three months, triggering a pre-drought alert across eleven districts.
Data from the Meteorological Department reveals the province received a mere 8.6 mm of rain from September to November, starkly below the normal 14.8 mm. Compounding the crisis, average temperatures were 0.9°C higher than usual during this period. The advisory highlights that western and southwestern regions have experienced a sustained decline in precipitation since May 2025, coupled with an increase in consecutive dry days.
