Pakistan’s athletes at the Special Olympics World Winter Games have made history by securing multiple medals in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing events.
Muneeb Ur Rehman led the way by clinching the nation’s first gold medal in the men’s 50-meter cross-country skiing event. The athlete from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was ecstatic about his win. “This is my first time competing at the World Winter Games, and I’ve been preparing for this moment for seven years,” he said, crediting his coaches Shumaila Iram and Mohammad Saleem. He also expressed his ambition to bring home more medals for Pakistan in future competitions.
Adding to the success, Moazzam Iqbal grabbed gold in the 800-meter snowshoeing race, while Rovina Qurban earned a silver medal in the women’s 50-meter cross-country skiing event.
Pakistan’s momentum continued as the team secured bronze medals in the snowshoeing 200-meter race, with Saboor Ahmed and Ali Raza leading the charge. Other athletes also delivered strong performances—Manahil finished fourth, Tabsum Nasir and Shah Galoon both took fifth, Afaq Khan came in sixth, and Iqra Akram finished seventh.
In total, ten athletes from Pakistan participated in this year’s World Winter Games, with the country’s final medal tally standing at two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
These stellar achievements have not only raised the bar for Pakistan’s athletes but also sparked hope for even greater successes on the international stage.