Fatima Zahra receives hero's welcome after historic Commonwealth Games bronze medal

LAHORE: Pakistan's historic Commonwealth Games medallist Fatima Zahra returned home on Tuesday following her bronze medal-winning campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The trailblazing boxer received a warm welcome at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport, where officials, supporters and family members gathered to celebrate her achievement.

Fatima secured Pakistan's only medal of the Glasgow Games by claiming bronze in the women's 60kg boxing event, becoming the first Pakistani woman boxer to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Her historic run ended in the semi-finals, where she was defeated by a Canadian opponent, ensuring a bronze medal under the competition's format.

Pakistan concluded its 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign with just one medal after Fatima delivered the country's only podium finish.

The nation sent a 21-member contingent to compete across multiple sports in Glasgow but returned with only a single medal, marking one of Pakistan's poorest performances in Commonwealth Games history.

The result equalled Pakistan's lowest medal tally since the 1998 Commonwealth Games, when the country won one silver medal. The national contingent had previously failed to win any medal at the 1990 edition, making Glasgow 2026 Pakistan's worst Commonwealth Games campaign in the past 36 years.

In recognition of her historic achievement, Fatima was selected to carry Pakistan's flag during the closing ceremony.

Pakistan's biggest medal hopes rested on Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem, who served as the country's flagbearer at the opening ceremony.

Nadeem qualified for the men's javelin throw final with an opening effort of 78.63 metres but was unable to defend the Commonwealth title he won in Birmingham four years earlier. He finished ninth with a best throw of 77.41m.

Fellow Pakistani javelin thrower Yasir Sultan also competed but narrowly missed out on a place in the final after finishing 14th in the qualification round with a best effort of 74.36m.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's hopes of another medal through experienced judoka Shah Hussain Shah ended on the final day after he suffered a first-round defeat in the men's event.

Pakistan's contingent also featured athletes in wrestling, weightlifting, swimming and boxing, but none managed to reach the podium despite several competitive performances.

The disappointing campaign marked a significant decline from Pakistan's performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where the national contingent won seven medals, including two gold, three silver and two bronze.