Pakistan secured three bronze medals at the 6th South Asian Sepaktakraw Championship held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from February 7 to 9, 24NewsHD TV reported on Friday.
Teams from Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka participated in the regional event.
Pakistan competed in three categories and finished with bronze medals in all three.
In the women’s Regu event, Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka comfortably to earn a podium finish.
In the men’s Regu semi-final, Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka in a closely contested match with set scores of 15-13, 15-12, and 12-15, settling for bronze.
The Pakistan women’s team was led by captain Didar Rani and included Urooj Naz, Maryam Butt, Durre Najaf, and Iram Naz, all of whom delivered strong performances throughout the tournament.
The men’s team, captained by Muhammad Khalid, featured Sarfaraz Rahman, Farhan, Balaj Khan, Nauman Alam, and Anas Rahman, who also put up commendable performances.
Coaches Muhammad Saleem and Maryam Kerio praised the efforts of both teams, particularly the women’s squad, and expressed optimism about winning medals in upcoming international events, including the World Cup and King’s Cup later this year.
Team head Deen Muhammad Kerio said the players met expectations with their consistent performances during the championship.
Officials of the Pakistan Sepaktakraw Federation, including President Sardar Muhammad Khan and Secretary General Naushad Ahmed Khan, along with Sindh Olympic Association Secretary Ahmed Ali Rajput and Sindh Sepaktakraw Association Chairman Dr. Muhammad Arif Hafeez and President Shabbir Ahmed, congratulated the teams on winning bronze medals for the country.
They termed the medal haul a positive sign for the sport’s development in the country.