The 20-year-old competed in the fiercely contested -52 kg category where she fought her way to the final block with determination and skill. In the semi-final, she secured a memorable victory over Jordan’s Raneem Aljazazi, delighting spectators and lifting Pakistan’s hopes. In the final, despite a valiant effort, she missed the gold narrowly, finishing with a silver medal, a landmark achievement for women’s judo in Pakistan.
Malaika’s triumph follows her participation at the World Championships Juniors 2024 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where she first demonstrated her international calibre. Her steady progress has now firmly established her as one of Pakistan’s brightest sporting prospects.
The President of the Pakistan Judo Federation, Col. Junaid Alam, along with the entire federation, celebrated her success, describing it as an historic milestone in the nation’s sporting history.
There were other significant performances from Pakistani athletes. At just 18 years old, Noor Khan, representing Balochistan and the Pakistan Navy, marked his international debut with a commanding victory. He defeated Jordan’s Mohammad Almashaqbeh by ippon in his opening bout in the -60 kg category. His journey, however, ended in the quarter-finals against the experienced Raoul Brillant Nganji of Burundi. Despite the loss, his performance signalled great promise for the future.
In the 73 kg division, Muhammad Abbas Khalil delivered a confident opening to his day by defeating Jordan’s Khader Alwraikat in the preliminary round. His campaign came to an end in the quarter-finals, where he lost to Ghady Moussa of Lebanon. Abbas, who had earlier represented Pakistan at the Asian Junior Championships 2024 in Korea, continues to gain valuable international experience.
Performances at the Amman Asian Open 2025 underline a significant turning point for Pakistan’s judo scene. With Malaika Noor’s historic silver medal leading the way and young athletes such as Noor Khan and others gaining international exposure, Pakistan’s future in judo looks more promising than ever.