Peshawar marathon closing ceremony descents into chaos

PESHAWAR: The conclusion of the Peshawar marathon erupted into chaos on Friday as participants voiced their discontent with the event’s organisers, culminating in a group of youth forcibly invading the stage.

During the closing ceremony, competitors expressed their dissatisfaction with the marathon’s organisation. They chanted against the organisation, with participants alleging that the race was compromised by allowing unauthorised entrants to join after it had commenced.

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The participants alleged that the race was riddled with irregularities and mismanagement.

“This marathon was a sham!” declared one of the competitors. He claimed that the select people were unfairly allowed to advance in the race in through dubious practices, including a “token system”.

The allegations reported that a rising frustrations among participants regarding the event’s integrity culminated in a huge blowout.

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In light of the protests, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister’s Adviser on Sports, Syed Fakhar Jahan, called for an investigation into the claims of misconduct raised by the runners. “We takes these allegations seriously and will conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the situation”, the adviser said.

The Peshawar marathon was officially launched by the KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. It attracted over 3.000 participants. The event was intended to foster sportsmanship and healthy competition in the region.

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However, it had the opposite effect unintentionally, with the event overshadowed by accusations of mismanagement and corruption.