PESHAWAR: Balochistan emerged as the overall champion of the 7th National Junior (Male & Female) Karate Championship 2026, which concluded with a colorful closing ceremony in Peshawar after several days of intense competition among young karate athletes from across the country.
Women's Category Results
In the women's category, Balochistan secured the championship title by winning four gold medals. Punjab finished second with two gold, three silver and one bronze medal, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa claimed third position with two silver and four bronze medals.
Closing Ceremony Highlights
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Director General Sports, Tashfeen Haider, attended the closing ceremony as chief guest and distributed medals and trophies among the winners. He was joined by Muhammad Jahangir, Andleeb Sandhu, Arbab Faiz, Shah Faisal, Khalid Noor and Asim Qureshi, along with other officials and guests.
Men's Category Results
In the men's competitions, organized by the Directorate of Sports, Balochistan once again dominated the standings, winning three gold, one silver and two bronze medals to lift the overall title. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa delivered a strong performance to finish runners-up with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals, while Punjab secured third place with one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Standout Performers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's standout performers included Yahya Khan, who won gold in the under-50kg category, and Abu Bakar, who secured gold in the over-68kg division. Sartaj Gul claimed a silver medal in individual kata, while Hina Khan (over-59kg) and Areeba Farooq (under-43kg) also earned silver medals. Bronze medals for the province were won by Iman Afridi, Fatima Noor, Nazia, Adil Sami and Sudais Afridi.
Recognition and Future Outlook
Athletes, coaches and officials praised the organizers and the Pakistan Karate Federation for successfully hosting the championship. Participants expressed confidence that such national-level events would help identify emerging talent and contribute significantly to the promotion and development of karate across Pakistan.
