LAHORE: After three days of competition at the K-Block Pool in DHA, the 57th Men’s and 18th Women’s Swimming Championships came to an end on Sunday.
The performance of the young, upcoming swimmers was the most impressive, demonstrating Pakistan’s talent and the need to maximize it across the country.
Amaan Sidiqui, a swimmer from Dubai who broke the 26-year-old record for the 400 meters freestyle and set new records for the 400 IM and 800 freestyle, may have had the best performance. Amaan, a young swimmer who is still in his teens, was not the only young swimmer who demonstrated his potential. Mohid Lone, who was only 14 years old, Azlan Sohail, Hamza Asif, and Daniyal Nabi also won gold medals and demonstrated that the country’s swimming industry has bright prospects. Sindh’s Miraal Haque broke the 200-meter butterfly record.
Jehanara Nabi’s five gold medals and one national record were the most impressive in the women’s events. Jehanara and Mishael Hyat Ayub also contributed to her team’s victories in each of the three relays, with the WAPDA team only 0.3 seconds behind the national record in the 4X200 meters freestyle relay. Sara Khan, Maya Lone, and Ayesha Zeeshan also set excellent times at other events, demonstrating that they have the potential to advance significantly in the swimming field.
The fact that WAPDA won the women’s competition and lifted the team trophy for the first time ever demonstrated how much potential exists among all of the units in the country. On numerous occasions, Sindh, the Punjab, and other units produced excellent swimming. Jehanara Nabi and Amaan Sidiqui won the cups for best swimmers. Army won the three men’s relays and dominated the men’s event, while WAPDA dominated the women’s event in a close race with Army. In the country, swimming has a bright future, but there is a great need to harness the talent in order to give all sports more attention and encourage them to keep trying.
