Pakistan sets six world records

Pakistan sets six world records

LAHORE: Pakistan may not have brought home any medals from this summer’s Olympics, but it can now lay claim to world records in chapati-making, plug-wiring and chessboard-arranging.

A weekend of bizarre record attempts in the eastern city of Lahore began on Saturday night when 42,813 people in the national hockey stadium sang the national anthem together, smashing the previous best of 15,243 held by India.

The Guinness World Records (GWR) has declared Pakistan the holder of the world record for the most people singing a national anthem simultaneously yet again.

Pakistan is also eyeing to set another world record by making the biggest human flag of Pakistan at the same venue in Lahore, the National Hockey Stadium, Geo TV reported.

On Sunday, Mohammed Mansha went flat out to set a new record for making chapati breads — mixing, kneading, spinning and cooking three in three minutes and 14 seconds — while 12-year-old Mehek Gul took just 45 seconds to arrange the pieces on a chessboard using only one hand.

Neither of these feats had been attempted before under the watchful eye of a Guinness World Records official.

But Ahmed Amin Bodla broke a more established record when he landed 616 martial arts kicks on a punchbag in just three minutes, beating the previous best of 612 also set by a Pakistani.

The events were held as part of a week-long youth festival in the eastern city of Lahore, where Guinness adjudicator Gareth Deaves ensured fair play, manager Sher Ali said.

While some people might prefer care over haste when it comes to electrics, Mohammed Nauman lit up the crowd as he wired a household plug in a dazzling 35 seconds.

In a land with a proud tradition of facial hair, Saddi Mohammed set a record by using his moustache to pull a 1.7 tonne pickup truck a distance of 60.3 metres, to wild applause from the crowd.

Elsewhere, Daniel Gill and Mohammed Rizwan set a new record for heading a football between them, managing 335 consecutive headers in three minutes 45 seconds.

But there was heartache for one contender, whose bid to claim the record for most T-shirts donned in three minutes was disallowed when officials ruled he had failed to smooth down all of the 59 shirts properly.

Late on Saturday night, patriotic emotions ran through the sky when thousands of participants of Punjab Youth Festival joined voices to break the world record for the most people singing a national anthem simultaneously in Lahore.

A GWR representative made official announcement in this regard saying according to their tally 42,813 Pakistani people sang the national anthem together to reclaim the world record.

“Aap nay world record tord diya hay (You have broken the world record),” the GWR representative said in Urdu.

A few hours earlier the ambitious organisers claimed that Pakistan has made it to the Guinness World Records as around 70,000 people have sung the national anthem together.

According to a statement issued by Sports Board of Punjab a day earlier at least 24,000 students, athletes as well as 60,000 audience/volunteers were expected to set the world record in the opening ceremony of Punjab Youth Festival 2012 main round.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who was the chief guest, encouraged the participants and organisers for such a grand effort. It was Pakistan’s event not just Punjab’s, he said.

Pakistan’s famous singers entertained the audience of the show, hosted by none other than Geo TV’s live wire Sahir Lodhi.

According to Guinness World Records website, the current record is held by India where 15,243 people sang the national anthem simultaneously. The event was organised by Lokmat Media Ltd (India) at the Divisional Sports Ground, in Aurangabad, India, on Jan.25, 2012.

Pakistan had held this record until it was broken by India. A total of 5,885 people had sung the national anthem simultaneously to set a new world record on Aug.14, 2011, Pakistan’s 65th Independence Day. Then, Pakistan had beaten the previous record of 5,248 set by the Philippines on Sept.1, 2009.

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Punjab Youth Festival is a good idea to engage the youth of the province in healthy activities. All of these records maybe a bit "bizarre", but they are still welcome by an entertainment/sport-deprived country.