LAHORE   -  Qasim Ali Khan of Lahore Gym­khana clinched the main category title at the 5th ChairmanWapda Amateur Golf Tournament 2023, concluding at the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club on Satur­day. The tournament, held under the patronage of WAPDA Sports Board, celebrated the skill and determination of golfers from across the country. Former Vice Chief of Army Staff Gen Ahsan Sal­eem Hayat (R), a passionate golf­er himself, graced the conclud­ing ceremony as the chief guest. Chairman Wapda and Patron-in- Chief Wapda Sports Board Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (R), along with other esteemed guests, at­tended the prize distribution cer­emony where winners and top performers were honored. 

Qasim Ali Khan secured the main category title with an im­pressive margin of 8 shots, boast­ing a gross score of 219. Hussain Hamid claimed the second posi­tion with a score of 227, while Khalid Mehmood secured third place with a gross score of 233. Qasim, a prominent amateur golfer, has represented Pakistan in various international events, including this year’s Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. 

In the lady amateur gross cat­egory, Bushra Fatima of Garrison Greens emerged victorious, while Ana James Gill of Royal Palm claimed the ladies net category title. In the Veteran’s section, Brig Anwar-ul-Haq of Garrison Greens secured the gross win, while Ja­ved A Khan of Gymkhana Club claimed the net category victory. 

The tournament featured ad­ditional invitational categories, with Lt Gen Hilal Hussain (R) and Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh win­ning the gross and net catego­ries, respectively. In the senior amateurs category, Abdul Rauf Ali secured the gross win, while Khalid Ch claimed the net win. 

ChairmanWapda Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (R), in his welcome remarks, emphasized the signifi­cance of sports, saying, “It is a his­toric fact that nations and their sports rise and fall together. With this in view, Wapda has been playing a pivotal role in the pro­motion of sports in Pakistan.” He reiterated Wapda’s commitment to patronizing sports and ath­letes in the country, emphasizing it as a top priority alongside pro­viding low-cost, green, and clean hydel electricity and enhancing water storage capacity. 

Overall, the tournament was a resounding success and a beautiful display of talent and determina­tion by the competitors. This suc­cess is all credited to the organiz­ers, Wapda, who held the event in the most professional manner. Col (R) Jameel, in particular, stated, “The Championship was vigilantly refereed by Ms. Munazza Shaheen, the only lady, Level-III qualified Rules Official in Pakistan, who was present on the Course from Dawn to Dusk!” Shahid Javed, Tourna­ment Director, was widely praised for his professionalism and dedi­cation. Chairman Wapda, while praising the high standard of the maintenance of the golf course, un­der the supervision of Col (R) Ja­meel, Director Golf Royal Palm, an­nounced a handsome cash reward for the marshals and ground staff.