For Sana Arif, the journey to the Asian Games began with a sport she had only learnt a few years earlier.

One of Pakistan’s pioneering women triathletes, Sana learnt to swim only in 2021, and went on to complete three Ironman 70.3 races — a gruelling endurance event combining a 1.9km swim, 90.1km of cycling and a 21.1km run. Born in Kuwait and raised in Lahore before returning to Kuwait, she had built her triathlon career largely through her own determination and training.

In 2026, that journey took her to Japan, where she and fellow Pakistani triathlete Anisha Ali from Hunza became part of the country’s first women’s triathlon contingent at the Asian Games. They were joined by male teammates Ali Hassan, Mohid Sadiq Lone and Muhammad Mustaghis Noor.

Sana’s teammate Anisha, 26, brought a very different sporting background to the team. A national-level athlete in judo, martial arts, rowing, boating, tug-of-war and fencing, she was no stranger to competition or rigorous training. But triathlon presented a new challenge, requiring her to master three disciplines simultaneously. Hailing from Gilgit-Baltistan, she says her upbringing around mountains taught her to embrace challenges rather than shy away from them. This was a mindset she carried with her to the Asian Games.

For Pakistan’s first women triathletes at the Asian Games, the competition was about more than medals. It was about simply showing up…

For Pakistan’s first women triathletes at the Asian Games, the competition was about more than medals. It was about simply showing up…

For Sana, the call that changed everything came almost by chance. She was in Pakistan on holiday when a friend told her that trials were being held for the Asian Games triathlon team. The timing was fortunate. She went along with a handful of other athletes, some stronger cyclists, others accomplished runners. But Sana had one advantage that mattered in a sport demanding proficiency in all three disciplines: she could swim well too.

A week later, she received a call from the Pakistan Triathlon Federation. She had been selected to represent Pakistan at the Asian Games.

The........

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