Pakistan with five gold medals in different events is at the top of the leaderboard of the Punjab International Youth Festival 2012 being held here on Sunday.
Although Pakistan was ahead in the Indo-Pak Games with title win in wrestling, the teams of both the Punjabs were going neck and neck in the remaining events with India winning the hockey series and the home team taking the tug of war title.
The Pakistan having won three gold medals in ju-jitsu and one each in fistball women and baseball men is holding the fort at the top and is followed by Iran with two gold medals in ju-jitsu.
The day started with a 2-1 win for Serbia in its festival football match against Punjab Greens. The first ever European football team to visit Pakistan, won all of its pool matches to qualify for the final. Serbian team edged aside Punjab Greens by two goals to one. Punjab Greens of Pakistan was leading the match by one goal and the lone goal of the side was manipulated by Mohammad Arif while Serbia came from behind to first not only level the score but also sneaked to 2-1 win. Arif provided authority to the Punjab team in the fifth minute of the match but the home side wilted later to give Serbia an edge of two goals. Masik of Serbia leveled the score in the 61st minute of the match and later in the 81st minute Haurtan Janik scored the most important goal of the match.
In ju-jitsu, Pakistan players took three gold medals to lead the medals table while Iran was placed second while Mauritius got one silver and a bronze. And Iraq, South Korea and Kyrgyzstan shared one bronze each.
On the fourth day of the international festival, Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan 16-1. Nauveen of Sri Lanka managed three while Arish, Chameer, Naurishan, Sameer and Krishan shared two scores each. Mohammad Arslan was the lone scorer of the Afghanistan side.
In the touch ball event of the festival, Afghanistan hammered Nepal with two goals to one while Pakistan got walk over against Somalia and Sri Lanka thrashed Nepal eight goals to one.
Meanwhile, in the Pakistan and India Dosti Hockey Cup, the team from across the border clinched the three match series by winning the last match here at the Johar Hockey Stadium.
The Indian Punjab team hit the board three times and allowed Pakistan Punjab forwards to penetrate through their defence only for once. India Punjab was in control of the match at the first half with 2-1 lead and later it added another goal to consolidate its position in the match.
Chief Organiser of the Youth Festival and Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan was the chief guest of the day at the Johar Stadium while Usman Anwar, Director General Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab was also present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Punjab laid to rest the Indian Punjab tug of war team by winning the encounter with straight 2-0 margin. They did not let their rivals stable on their feet and pulled them off not only once but twice.
