KARACHI: Pakistan won two more medals on the second day of Tent Pegging World Cup being played in South Africa.
Pakistan got the team silver in sword category while Wajahatullah got the individual bronze medal with an individual score of 40.
These two medals would’ve turned into two golds if Pakistani riders had not missed their targets in the final run of team round on Friday.
On the second day of the competition, riders used sword to pierce on target, pick it up and carry it away from the point it was fixed in.
Pakistan team, comprised of Irfan Mehmood, Nasir Abbas, Wajahatullah and Tasawur Abbas, displayed perfect skill to get the lead from first round which was of individual swords.
Pakistan got 36 points after the first round which saw all four riders running individually twice. Saudi Arabia was at 35.6 points while Egypt got 33.5 points from the first round out of maximum 48.
Pakistan continued its dominance in pair round as well in which riders ran towards the target twice in the form of pairs.
Pakistan was looking certain for a gold medal at the end of the second run of team stage and were above Saudi Arabia but Irfan Mehmood, who hadn’t missed any target in the day, and Tasawur Abbas missed their target in final run which gave Saudi Arabia a decisive lead of 6.5 points.
Pakistan ended the day with 132 points, behind Saudi Arabian team which had 138.5 points. India finished third in Sword category with 126.5 points.
Irfan would’ve won the individual sword gold medal outrightly if he had not missed the target. He had to settle with 36 points. Oman’s Safwan Al Mamri won the silver medal with 41 points.
Pakistan’s Wajahatullah, Hassan Omar Asri and Abdul Wahab Yahya got 40 points in the day and the trio participated in ride-out to decide silver and bronze medalists, following the play-off ride-outs, Hasan Omar won the silver and Pakistan’s Wajahatullah got the bronze medal.
The good show on the second day has also helped Pakistan jump to second position in overall championship table with cumulative 276 points. Saudi Arabia is leading 292.5 points.
Pakistani horsemen will back in action on third day to compete in six different runs. In first stage, they’ll be in action for Rings and Peg, in the second stage they’ll be in action for Lemon and Peg which will be followed by relays of lance and sword respectively.
Pakistan contingent is confident of securing the championship medal at the end of overall 20 runs.
Pakistan’s Irfan Mehmood is also in race to clinch overall best athlete’s award, with 76 points from two days, he is following Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Omar at 82 points and Rashed Hamad Almarri with 78.
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.
