Usman, Fatima triumph in badminton at Karachi’s Jashn-e-Marka Haq Azadi festival

KARACHI: The Jashn-e-Marka Haq Azadi Sports festival held an exciting badminton tournament in Naya Nazimabad on Saturday, where Usman Ahmad and Fatima Iqbal emerged as champions in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.

In the men’s final, Usman dominated Zeeshan with convincing scores of 21-4 and 21-8 to take home the trophy. 

Meanwhile, in the women’s category, Fatima Iqbal defeated Tahira Batool by 15-8 to secure the title. Eshfa Fatima earned third place after overcoming Ayesha Yasir in a competitive match.

The festival also featured exciting table tennis finals, where Anas Siddiqui emerged victorious against Irteza Haider in the men’s category. In the girls’ final, Ayesha Yasir beat Ajwa Khan to claim the top spot.

Cycling events thrilled the crowd as Azan Ali crossed the finish line first, followed by Hasan Jilani in second place and Muhammad Haseeb securing third. 

Anaya Muzaffar won the girls’ cycling championship, with Fatima Salman and Sidra Shahid finishing second and third, respectively.

Special guest Gymkhana manager Altaf Hussain honoured the athletes by distributing medals and certificates in recognition of their performances.

The taekwondo competition showcased impressive skills from boys and girls aged five to fifteen, earning enthusiastic applause from spectators.

The festival will continue with football, archery and boxing matches on Sunday.

On August 13, a showbiz cricket tournament, a grand concert and a fireworks display are scheduled.

The morning of August 14 will begin with a flag-hoisting ceremony, followed by squash, swimming, and cricket competitions.

An awards ceremony will be held to honour the athletes who delivered brilliant performances during the Jashn-e-Marka Haq Azadi Sports festival.