Samiullah who sells cooked rice in the Jamrud bazaar in Khyber tribal district to make a living won a gold medal in the 33rd National Games held recently in Peshawar.

The 25-year old father of three sons now wants to become a world-class sprinter and bring laurels for Pakistan. Samiullah won gold medal in the 100 metres sprint. He did it 10.64 seconds to outsprint other competitors. The athlete has been selling cooked Pulao rice in Jamrud bazaar for the last 10 years. “I leave my home at 6am and go to Jamrud bazaar where I open my rice stall and work until around 4pm,” Samiullah told The News. He said he manage to earn Rs1,000 to 1,500 daily. He said after his victory people now come to his rice stall in Jamrud to meet and take selfies with him. Samiullah said he was so happy when he won the race and secured the gold medal. “It was an unforgettable moment. My parents and other family members celebrated my win at the Qayyum Stadium when I was honoured with the gold medal,” he added.

Samiullah lives with his parents in a small mud-thatched rented house near Jamrud bazaar. His family originally belongs to Bannu and has settled down in Jamrud. “Though this was my first National Games gold medal, I earlier won around 100 gold, silver, and bronze medals in different regional and departmental games in the country,” said Samiullah.

“I practice and train at Islamia College ground in Peshawar,” he said. He said he was undergoing tough training for the coming South Asia games in Nepal and was hoping to win a gold medal for Pakistan. Samiullah said he had remained champion of under 14, 15 and 19 several times. He said Wapda recently employed him and was paying him Rs22,000 salary. “I spend the money on my training and sports kit,” he added.