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Pakistani Skiing Pair Wins Gold & Silver In Winter Games

SPECIAL REPORT | Saturday | 22 January 2011
WWW.PAKNATIONALISTS.COM

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Skiers Ifrah Wali and Amina Wali of Pakistan Army secured gold and silver medals respectively in the Giant Slalom event of skiing in the South Asian Winter Games.

Amina Wali and Ifrah Wali first girl skiiers belonging to Naltar Valley (Gilgit Baltistan province of Pakistan) represent Pakistan Army and had also won National Women’s and Children Skiing Championship in 2009, according to a report by Jana Shah in the online news blog .

The inaugural South Asian Winter Games were held in the Indian State of Uthakhand from 10-16 January. Besides India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka also participated in the Games.

27 Members of Pakistan contingent included officials and athletes, participated in these games. Skiers of Pakistan Army Miss Ifrah Wali and Miss Amina Wali secured Gold and Silver Medal in Giant Slalom of skiing respectively. Amina Wali also got silver medal in Slalom event of ski. This was the first ever medal won by any female Athlete for Pakistan in South Asian Games for ski event.

The medal-winning skiers who took part in the recently-concluded first South Asian Winter Games were awarded Rs500,000 each. Pakistan won a total of five medals to finish at second place in the tournament behind hosts India, according to Express Tribune newspaper.

Ifra Wali won gold in the Giant Slalom while her sister Amna grabbed two silver medals in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events, and Mir Nawaz Junior bagged silver and bronze in Slalom and Giant Slalom respectively.

Nawaz pressed for the government to promote winter games in Naltar so that players could compete in more international competitions. “International players cannot compete with our style as we are used to hard exercises from our child hood,” Nawaz told The Express Tribune.

Ifra echoed Nawaz’s views and invited young girls from Naltar to come forward in the sport.

Meanwhile, Winter Olympian Mohammad Abbas blamed his medal drought on bad luck. “It is only bad luck especially when your time comes and you do not perform well despite being fully fit,” said Abbas.

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