Pak’s Muneeb, Moazzam clinch gold medals in Turin

On an absolutely thrilling day for Pakistani athletes at the 12th Special Olympic World Winter Games’ at Turin, Italy on Thursday, Muneeb Ur Rehman and Moazzam Iqbal showcased outstanding performances by clinching gold medals in the cross-country 50 meters skiing and 800m Snowshoeing race respectively.

And if that was not enough, Pakistan’s Rovina Qurban claimed the silver medal in the women’s 50-meter race while Manahil finished fourth, Tabsum Nasir and Shah Galoon secured fifth place, Afaq Khan came in sixth, and Iqra Akram finished in seventh place.

Gold medalist Muneeb Ur Rehman, who hails from Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, expressed his joy, stating that this was his first time participating in the World Winter Games.

He had been preparing for this event for the past seven years, with dedicated training from his coaches, Shumaila Iram and Muhammad Saleem.

Muneeb shared his ambition to win more medals for Pakistan in upcoming international events.

In the snowshoeing 200-meter race, Pakistan’s Saboor Ahmed and Ali Raza won bronze medals.

The Pakistani athletes like others went through the rounds of divisioning.

Divisioning, according to the Special Olympics website, is essential. It is the fundamental difference between Special Olympics competitions and those of other sports organizations is that athletes of all ability levels are encouraged to participate, and every athlete is recognized for his/her performance. Competitions are structured so that athletes compete with other athletes of similar ability in equitable divisions, the website explains.

The athletes have also been training in Turin. The Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP) social media pages have been uploading videos of the athletes partaking in training sessions. Their dedication to their discipline and sport is heartwarming as the SOP coaches guide them on the slopes of Turin.

Meanwhile, it was a day of raw emotion, pride, and unforgettable achievement for Team Ireland at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin. With families watching on in tears of joy, Ireland’s athletes produced breathtaking performances, bringing home five medals in Alpine Skiing and celebrating a hard-fought victory in Floorball.