The curtain fell on the 2024 Quaid-e-Azam Inter-Provincial Games in grand style at Islamabad’s iconic Jinnah Stadium on December 18, with Punjab claiming the top spot in the overall medal standings. Showcasing exceptional athletic prowess, Punjab secured an impressive tally of 173 medals, including 78 golds, 53 silvers, and 42 bronzes, outshining all competitors.
Trailing behind were Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in second place with 98 medals (29 golds, 31 silvers, and 38 bronzes) and Sindh in third, claiming 79 medals (16 golds, 25 silvers, and 38 bronzes). Balochistan took fourth place with 62 medals, which included 14 golds, 16 silvers, and 32 bronzes. Meanwhile, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan finished with 56, 26, and 22 medals respectively.
Beyond the numbers, the Games provided a much-needed platform for football enthusiasts who have been starved of action due to the Pakistan Football Federation Normalization Committee’s (PFF-NC) prolonged inactivity. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) stepped in to fill this void, organizing a competitive football tournament as part of the multi-sport event. While not perfect, it was a refreshing change for the country’s football fans—proving that, sometimes, something is better than nothing.
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Football Finals: High Drama on the Pitch
The football finals offered plenty of action and excitement, with both men’s and women’s events delivering memorable moments.
Women’s Football Final
In the women’s final, the Islamabad team lived up to its billing as favorites, defeating Sindh 2-0 to claim the gold medal. The dynamic duo of Amani Khan and Eman Mustafa delivered decisive goals, cementing Islamabad’s dominance in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Balochistan secured the bronze medal with a victory over Gilgit-Baltistan in the third-place match.
Men’s Football Final
The men’s final turned out to be a nail-biter, with Sindh edging out Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 3-2 in extra time to clinch the gold medal. Sindh raced to an early 2-0 lead, but KP mounted a remarkable comeback, leveling the score in dramatic fashion late in regulation time.
In the extra-time thriller, it was Furqan Umar who emerged as Sindh’s hero, scoring the decisive goal that sealed victory and brought home the gold.
In the bronze-medal match, Punjab outclassed Gilgit-Baltistan to secure third place in men’s football.
While the Quaid-e-Azam Inter-Provincial Games aren’t a substitute for professional football leagues or international fixtures, they provided a platform for players to showcase their talents and reignited enthusiasm among football fans. With the PFF-NC still unable to organize meaningful competitions, the Quaid-e-Azam Inter-Provincial Games was a welcome step toward keeping the spirit of the sport alive.