Pakistan’s Qudrat Ullah moved into the semi-finals of the men’s 55kg boxing event at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh on Saturday, confirming at least a bronze medal for the country.
Competing at The Promenade–Art Tower, Qudrat defeated Sudan’s Mohamed Othman 10-0 in a one-sided quarter-final decided unanimously by the judges. The 20-year-old from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will face Egypt’s Amir Mohamed Farag Ahmed Kelany in Sunday’s semi-final.
Earlier, Fatima Zahra had secured Pakistan’s first women’s boxing medal at the Games, overcoming Algeria’s Hamda Melissa 5-0 in the 60kg quarter-final. The 19-year-old from Sargodha will meet her Egyptian opponent in the semifinal.
At the Olympic Complex Swimming Hall, Jehanara Nabi advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s 50m butterfly after clocking 30.77 seconds in her heat. She, however, did not qualify for the final. Teammate Mishael Aisha Hayat Yousaf finished fifth in her heat with a time of 31.42 seconds.
In the men’s 50m butterfly, Ali Mohammad Mitha registered 26.31 seconds for seventh in his heat, while Syed Mohammad Sodik Malik Hatim placed seventh in another with 26.13. Turkey’s Berk Ozkul led the qualifiers in 24.45.
In freestyle events, Hussein Shawky completed the men’s 50m heat in 24.75 seconds for fifth place, and Syed Mohammad Danish Khan clocked 25.68 for sixth. Pakistan’s mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team finished third in their heat in 3:55.82, behind Azerbaijan (3:47.31) but ahead of Kyrgyzstan.
In table tennis, Pakistan’s women’s team lost 4-8 to Uganda in Group C, with Bisma Faryal, Hoor Fawad and Kalsom Khan featuring in the match.
