Thai golfer Tirawat Kaewsiribandit has won the first international golf event to be held in Pakistan in 11 years.
A field of 132 players from around the world competed in the Asian Tour's UMA CNS Open Championship at Karachi Golf Club on October 14, as the country continues its effort to attract international sporting events.
"Coming back to Pakistan is a fantastic opportunity for us," Robert Andrew, event director of the Asian Tour, told AFP before the start of the tournament.
"This is the starting point for future years after the success of this event," he added.
In 2009, a deadly attack on a bus carrying Sri Lanka's national cricket team led to the cancellation of all future sporting events.
But Pakistan claims the security situation has improved after a military offensive was conducted in the country's northwest and as police have cracked down on extremist activity in urban areas.
In October 2017, Pakistan hosted Sri Lanka’s cricket team for a competition in Lahore amid tight security.
That followed a cricket match the previous month, also conducted under heavy security in Lahore, against the World XI squad that featured some of the sport’s top international stars.
Squash and tennis tournaments have also been held in the country.
