HYDERABAD, Dec 2: Karachi won six gold medals after Sindh sports minister Dr. Mohammad Ali Shah declared the 16th Sindh Games open in a colourful ceremony at the Niaz Stadium on Sunday.

The opening ceremony was shrouded in controversy as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not accord an official approval to the Sindh Sports Ministry to hold the event at the Niaz Stadium.

There was further controversy as body-building contests were cancelled after office-bearers of two separate associations claimed their rights of representation.

The two associations led by Sohail Anwar and Syed Jamil couldn’t resolve their dispute despite mediation by sports board officials.

Meanwhile there was some good news after the Sindh Football Association had announced their boycott of the Games as the football event was set to go as per schedule with sports board officials forming teams of five regions.

In the events held on Sunday, Karachi and Hyderabad secured a gold medal each in men’s and women’s athletics events.

Karachi’s Sylvestien Dean took gold in the men’s 5,000m while their second gold of the day came in the women’s 4x400m relay.

Hyderabad took gold in the men’s 4x400m relay while Hina Rafiq won the shot put event.

Karachi won another gold with victory in the men’s squash event after they beat Hyderabad 2-0 in the final. Karachi then made a clean sweep in Jiu-Jitsu, winning all three medals on offer.

Mohammad Rafay won the -50kg event while Umair Huzefa took the honours in the -55kg category and Shahryar Khan made it three out of three when he won the -62kg event.