KARACHI, July 30: There’s a good enough reason for Pakistan to hold its head high as the host of the fourth South Asian Games at Islamabad from Oct 20 to 28, 1989 following a big leap on the medals table after being bestowed with the honour.

It was a Herculean task and litmus test of organisational abilities as sporting event of such magnitude had never taken place in the country.

It was one aspect besides preparing athletes for meeting the big challenge.

Enormous funds were raised with the launch of Sports Association for Veteran’s Rehabilitation (SAVER) raffle well ahead of the spectacle as the host challenged Indian supremacy by picking up more medals this time.

The games were held in 10 disciplines and the only change was inclusion of squash at the expense of basketball.

Though India reigned supreme by securing 61 golds, 43 silvers and 20 bronze, it was Pakistan who ruled the men’s track and field, boxing, squash in addition to snatching the football gold to finish with the figures of 42-33-22.

The presence of boxing legend Mohammad Ali in Islamabad as a special guest at the closing ceremony added glamour to the games.

Pakistani athletes who swept five gold medals on the opening day of men’s track and field finished with 11-8-7 as compared to India’s 9-9-6.

The main highlight was a double by Ghulam Abbas in low and high hurdles. Other recipients of gold medals were M. Sadaqat (400m); Nadir Khan (800m); Manik Khan (10,000m); Abdul Razzaq (steeple chase); M. Urfaq (long jump); Haider Ali Shah (triple jump); Kafayat Hussain (shot put); M. Arshad (javelin throw) and the quartet of 4 x 400m relay.

The Pakistani pugilists proved that they are a force to be reckoned with when they finished with a rich harvest of 10 golds.

Those who did the country proud were Majid Qambrani (lightflyweight); M. Latif (flyweight); Zaigham Masil (featherweight); Arshad Hussain (lightweight); Azeem Jan (light welterweight); Abrar Hussain (light middleweight); Hussain Shah (middleweight); Asghar Ali (light heavyweight); Kausar Abbas (heavyweight) and Dildar Ahmed (super heavyweight).

Pakistan scored a solitary goal victory over Bangladesh in the final to land the prized football gold. Abdul Sattar scored the all important goal for the home team. Similarly, the spikers did not let their followers down when they beat India to capture the gold.

Pakistan’s supremacy in squash remained intact when they swept individual as well as team gold.

A double crown by Arif Khan made him tall in the games table tennis competition. He maintained his ascendancy when he beat Kamlesh Mehta to retain the men’s singles gold and later teamed up with Nazo to annex mixed double.

Weightlifting and wrestling were other disciplines where Pakistani athletes came out with flying colours.

Final medals table:

G S B

India 61 43 20

Pakistan 42 33 22

Sri Lanka 6 10 21

Nepal 1 13 32

Bangladesh 1 12 24

Bhutan - - 3

Maldives - - -

Pakistan failed to maintain their good work they had shown at Islamabad and relegated to third position behind India and hosts Sri Lanka in the fifth South Asian games held at Colombo from Dec 22 to 31, 1991.

Pakistan finished with figures of 28-32-25 as compared to India’s 64-59-41. Taking advantage of home conditions, Sri Lanka exhibited much improved performance securing 44-34-40 medals.

Basketball and shooting were included among 10 disciplines dropping kabaddi and wrestling.

Hurdler Ghulam Abbas was again pick of the athletes as he came out with a double for the second time despite the fact that Pakistan won three gold less as compared to Islamabad.

Other gold winning athletes were Sadaqat (400m); Nadir Khan (1500m); Banaras Khan (triple jump); Ghufran Hussain (shot put); Mohammad Rashid (javelin throw) besides the quartet of 4 x 400m relay.

In boxing, Pakistan fetched eight golds through the shining performance of Shah Nawaz (bantamweight); Zaigham Masil (featherweight); Ataullah Durrani (light welterweight); Khyber Shah (welterweight); Abrar Hussain (light middleweight); Hussain Shah (light heavyweight); M. Asghar (heavyweight) and Dildar Ahmed (super heavyweight).

The footballers repeated their gold medal winning feat while the lifters earned a lion’s share of country’s total medal finishing with a tally 11-16-3.

Final medals table

G S B

India 64 59 41

Sri Lanka 44 34 40

Pakistan 28 32 25

Bangladesh 4 8 28

Nepal 2 8 29

Maldives - 1 -

Bhutan - - -

With the exception of boxing, a decline in terms of gold medals was witnessed at the sixth South Asian games held at Dhaka from Dec 20 to 27, 1993.

India as expected dominated the extravaganza securing 60-46-31 medals. They were followed by Pakistan 23-22-20.

The games were held in 12 disciplines which includes athletics, boxing, football, swimming, shooting, kabaddi, judo, shooting ball, volleyball, table tennis, tennis and wrestling.

In men’s track and field event Pakistan slipped to two golds courtesy Mohammad Amin (400m hurdles) and Ghufran Hussain (shot put). But Shabana Akhtar shone when she leaped to 5.95m to snatch women’s long jump gold.

The boxers picked up nine golds through Abdul Rasheed Qambrani (light flyweight); Abdul Khaliq (bantamweight); Zaigham Masil (featherweight); Arshad Hussain (light weight); Abdul Rasheed Baloch ((welterweight); Khyber Shah (light middleweight); Tanveer Butt (middleweight); Asghar Ali (light heavyweight) and Tauseef Tariq (heavyweight).

Pakistan land the kabaddi gold in addition to grabbing two golds apiece in shooting and swimming.

The spikers also did the country proud with a gold so did Mohammad Khaliq who annexed men’s singles gold in tennis. The wrestlers ended up with four gold medals.

Final medals table

G S B

India 60 46 31

Pakistan 23 22 20

Sri Lanka 20 22 39

Bangladesh 11 19 32

Nepal 1 6 15

Maldives - - -

Bhutan - - -

(To be continued)

— A.Z.