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Serena Masters Tennis Series: Aqeel and Ushna claim singles titles
Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The 3rd edition of the Serena Masters Series concluded at the PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, with the straight games victories of Aqeel Khan and Ushna Suhail in the finals here. Aqeel Khan ousted Barkatullah 6-3, 6-2 in the men’s singles while Ushna Suhail thrashed Sheeza Sajid 6-4, 4-0 (retd) to win the Masters Cup title.Men's Doubles Final: Due to inclement weather, the match was abandoned at 3-all, and both teams, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi/Aqeel Khan and Shahzad Khan/Mohammad Abid, were declared joint winners.The closing ceremony was attended by Syed Fahim Inam, Chief Marketing Officer, Serena Hotels, as the chief guest, and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President-PTF, as the guest of honour. Other notable attendees included Major Suleman Junaid SEVP-PTF, Suhail Khawaja SVP-PTF , Saeed Ahmad Khan SVP-PTF, Col. Zia-ud-Din Tufail -Secretary General-PTF, Imran Hassan-Serena Hotels, Col. Gul Rehman-PTF, Sidra Zaheer -Serena Hotels and a large number of players, parents, coaches, and media representatives.Syed Fahim Inam, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, and Col. Zia-ud-Din Tufail distributed prizes among the winners and runners-up, congratulated them on their achievements. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi expressed heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Aziz Boolani, CEO of Serena Hotels, for his unwavering support and immense encouragement for Pakistan's tennis players.
HBL PSL X tickets to go on sale from 3 April: PCB
Lahore (PR): HBL PSL X tickets will go on sale online from Thursday, 3 April, at 3pm PKT as the marquee event is all set to commence from 11 April. The six-team tournament will be played at the four cities – Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi, with the final scheduled at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 18 May.Physical tickets will go on sale at designated TCS express centres (infographic attached) from 7 April onwards. Tickets booked online can also be collected from TCS designated pick-up centres or can be home-delivered by TCS. The tickets will be available to fans at an affordable rate, with general tickets available to fans at PKR 650 at all four venues. The tickets for the opening match scheduled at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium between Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars will be available from PKR 1,000 to PKR 8,500.
TENNIS - ITF Juniors 28 Mar, 2025
Islamabad (Sports Desk): A 15-year-old Mikaeel Ali Baig has shown incredible form over the past three weeks, playing the Davis Cup Junior Championship and two consecutive ITFs in Sri Lanka.Despite a challenging draw this week, he reached BOTH singles and doubles finals. And he emerged as the Doubles Champion with partner Oscar! This marks his 6th ITF final appearance in just a few months and his FIRST title. Due to his consistent performances, Mikaeel's world ranking has skyrocketed from the 1400s to the 800s.
POLO - Local News 28 Mar, 2025
Lahore (PR): The grand final of the Ecostar Lahore Polo Club Super League 2025 will be played on Saturday (March 29), at 4:00 pm between Remington Pharma and IS Polo/Master Knights at Lahore Polo Club.Following the first phase of the league matches at the Lahore Polo Club, two teams successfully qualified for the final. IS Polo/Master Knights, emerging from Pool A, won all four of their matches, securing a place in the final. Their squad includes Sufi Mohammad Hashim, Ibrahim Sultan, Bilal Hayat Noon, and Raja Taimoor Nadeem.Similarly, Remington Pharma dominated Pool B, winning all four matches and earning their spot in the final. The team comprises Ibrahim Khan, Dr Faisal Qadeer Khokhar, Mir Huzaifa Ahmed, and Hamza Muawaz Khan.The guest of honor for the final will be Naeem Bashir, General Manager Sales at Ecostar. Before the final, a third-place match will be played between Ecostar Polo Team and Newage Cables. Ecostar Polo secured three victories out of four matches in Pool A, while Newage Cables also won three matches in Pool B, finishing as runners-up.The Ecostar Polo Team consists of Zackariya Daud Ali Khan, Faisal Khan, Ahmed Bilal Riaz, and Mumtaz Abbas Niazi, whereas Newage Cables team features Ibrahim Siddiqui, Adnan Jaleel Azam, Abdul Rehman Monnoo, and Ahmed Ali Twana.
CLIMBING - Int News 28 Mar, 2025
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The IFSC Speed World Cup Klagenfurt 2025 which had been set to take place in July has been removed from the 2025 calendar. Due to sponsor withdrawal, organisers ACTS Sportveranstaltungen GmbH are now unable to host with absolute certainty and the event has been removed from the upcoming World Cup Series of events. Set to be the sixth and final Speed World Cup competition of the 2025 season, the IFSC is now working tirelessly for an alternative venue and city to host the event. Initial talks with ACTS Sportveranstaltungen GmbH were to include a Speed World Cup as part of a multisport event where the IFSC has enjoyed previous success, but the desire to host a standalone Climbing event meant the inclusion of the south Austrian city on the 2025 calendar.Now however, the IFSC has removed the event and will look to find an appropriate replacement with ACTS Sportveranstaltungen GmbH unable to fulfil the IFSC World Cup hosting criteria. The removal does not affect the IFSC World Cup Innsbruck 2025 – which includes Boulder, Lead and Para Climbing – that is set for June and organised by Austria Climbing.
Draw and seedings announced for U23 World Squash Championships
Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The seedings and draws have been announced for the 2025 U23 World Squash Championships, which are taking place at DHA Creek Club, Karachi, from 6-10 April this year 2025.The 2025 U23 World Squash Championships is the first edition of the new event, which features a 32-player draw in both men's and women's events, a $60,000USD prize pot and a spot in the PSA World Championships for the winners.In the women's event, World No.13 Fayrouz Aboelkheir tops the draw, with the 19-year-old receiving a bye through to round two and set to play the winner of the round one clash between Spain's Noa Romero Blazquez and Pakistan's Mariam Malik.Aboelkheir is one of two Egyptians in the women's draw and, should the tournament go to seedings, the Alexandrian will take on No.2 seed Malak Khafagy in an all-Egyptian final.Hoping to spoil the party will be Malaysian No.3 seed Aira Azman, a silver medal winner at the 2023 World Junior Championships, and No.4 seed Sin Yuk Chan of Hong Kong, China.Chan is joined by two compatriots in the top eight seeds, with Heylie Fung seeded fifth and Toby Tse seeded eighth.Completing the seedings are Japan No.2 Akari Midorikawa, who has been seeded sixth, and No.7 seed Xin Ying Yee of Malaysia.Also in action for the hosts are Sana Bahadar and Amna Fayyaz, with Bahadar up against Czechia's Tamara Holzbauerová and Fayyaz taking on Japan's Kurumi Takahashi.In the men's event, World No.61 Ibrahim Elkabbani tops the draw, with the Egyptian drawn against Poland's Leon Krysiak in the opening match.Noor Zaman represents the hosts' best hope, with the 20-year-old Peshawari - grandson of the legendary Qamar Zaman - the tournament's No.2 seed and drawn against Kuwait's Hussain Alzaatari in round one.Also representing Pakistan in Karachi are 2023 World Junior Champion Hamza Khan, who plays Spain's Hugo Lafuente Jaen in round one, and Muhammad Ammad, who has been drawn against No.4 seed Mohammed Naseer.Khan is one of two former world champions in the men's draw, with the 19-year-old joined by the Netherlands' Rowan Damming. Damming, World Junior Champion in 2022, is No.7 seed and will face Malta's Kijan Sultana in round one.
PCB announces departure of Communications Director
Lahore (PCB): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced that Sami Ul Hasan has stepped down as Director of Media and Communications, a role that also encompassed digital media responsibilities. He had informed the PCB in December 2024 of his intention to conclude his tenure following the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.Sami had rejoined the PCB in March 2019 after spending 13 years with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai, with his last assignment being Head of Media and Communications. Prior to his time with the sport’s governing body, he served as the PCB’s General Manager – Media from 2002 to 2004, following a 14-year career as a cricket correspondent for the Dawn newspaper.PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed: “Sami has been an important member of the PCB’s executive team, bringing vast experience and expertise to the organisation. His contributions in shaping modern communication strategies, strengthening media relations and elevating the digital landscape have been invaluable. Under his leadership, the Media, Communications and Digital department has played a key role in significantly enhancing the PCB’s engagement with stakeholders - both locally and globally - most notably in the lead up to and during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. On behalf of the PCB, I extend our gratitude to Sami for his dedication and professionalism and wish him success in his future endeavors.”Sami Ul Hasan said: “It has been a privilege to serve the PCB for the second time and contribute to its growth during a transformative period. I step away with immense satisfaction, knowing that the Media, Communications and Digital team has evolved into one of the most respected and highly professional departments. Seeing the department and its talented individuals flourish has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my time here. As I step into the next chapter of my career, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to senior leaders and colleagues for their support, collaboration and trust. A special thanks to the media fraternity for their cooperation and support - I look forward to crossing paths again in the future!”
Lahore Blues beat Peshawar to lift National T20 Cup 2024-25 title
Faisalabad (PCB Report): Hussain Talat-led Lahore Region Blues comprehensively beat Peshawar Region by a nine-wicket margin in the final of the Bank Alfalah Presents Inverex Solar Energy National T20 Cup 2024-25 here at the Iqbal Stadium on Thursday night.Lahore Blues pocketed winners prize of PKR five millions out of the 9.4 million PKR prize pot, while the runners up Peshawar got PKR 2.5 million.Chasing a meagre 111-run target, Lahore Blues got over the line with 24 balls in the bag as opening batter Umar Siddiq remained unbeaten for 64 not out off 46 balls with the help of six fours and two sixes.Umar stitched a 45-run opening stand with Imran Butt and followed it up by an unbeaten 66-run partnership with Junaid Ali (30, 30b, 3x4s) to take his team home.Earlier, Peshawar were kept in check by the Lahore Blues bowlers as only three of their batters entered double figures leading to a modest 110-9 total in the allotted 20 overs. Iftikhar Ahmed (34, 33b, 2x4s) and No.5 batter Mohammad Zulkifal (32, 29b, 4x4s, 1x6) were the main contributors for Peshawar.Player of the match Mohammad Salman Mirza bagged four wickets for 21 runs in his four overs, while left-arm spinner returned figures of 4-0-20-2. Qasim Akram, Nisar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan dismissed one batter each.Scores in brief:Final – Lahore Region Blues beat Peshawar Region by nine wickets at Iqbal Stadium, FaisalabadPeshawar 110-9, 20 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 34, Mohammad Zulkifal 32; Mohammad Salman Mirza 4-21, Mohammad Irfan 2-20)Lahore Blues 111-1, 16 overs (Umar Siddiq 64 not out, Junaid Ali 30 not out; Usman Tariq 1-20)Player of the match – Mohammad Salman Mirza (Lahore Region Blues)Player of the tournament and best batter of the tournament – Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar Region - 605 runs in seven matches)Best bowler of the tournament – Hasan Ali (Sialkot Region – 13 wickets in four matches)Best wicketkeeper of the tournament – Mohammad Akhlaq (Lahore Region Whites – Six dismissals & 114 runs)
Alastair Cook Makes a Grand Return to Cricket
Islamabad (Sports Desk): In a historic moment for cricket lovers, England’s legendary batsman Sir Alastair Cook has announced his return to competitive cricket, joining the England Champions squad for the upcoming EaseMyTrip World Championship of Legends to be held at Edgbaston in July 2025.Cook, who bid farewell to international cricket in 2018 as England’s highest Test run-scorer, will reunite with his longtime comrade and white-ball icon, Eoin Morgan, who is set to lead the England Champions in this prestigious global tournament.Cook’s career boasts 161 Test matches, 12,472 runs at an average of 45.35, and 33 centuries—solidifying his legacy as one of the game’s all-time greats.
Fatima Sana to lead Pakistan in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers
Lahore (Sports Report): The Selection Committee has named a 15-member squad for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, set to take place from 9 to 19 April at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore. The squad was selected after the selection committee evaluated players’ fitness and form in the ongoing second phase of preparation camp, where the players took part in warm-up matches and practice sessions.Fatima Sana, who has led Pakistan in six T20Is and two ODIs, will continue to lead the women’s cricket team in the 50-over event, while Shawaal Zulfiqar makes a comeback to the national side after suffering from a shoulder injury during the tour of New Zealand in December 2023. Squad:Fatima Sana (captain), Muneeba Ali (vice-captain), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi (wicket-keeper), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper) and Syeda Aroob ShahReserve players:Ghulam Fatima, Waheeda Akhtar and Umm-e-Hani Player support personnel:Hina Munawar (manager), Muhammad Wasim (head coach), Junaid Khan (assistant coach bowling), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach spin bowling), Abdul Saad (assistant coach fielding), Waleed Ahmed (analyst), Muhammad Rafi Ullah (media manager), Muhammad Ramzan (strength and conditioning coach), Tehreem Sumbal (physiotherapist) and Kiran Shahzadi (masseuse)The six-team ICC event, which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan, will feature a single-league round-robin format. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground will host 15 matches of the event, with Pakistan playing Ireland in the opening match of the competition at the Gaddafi StadiumOn 11 April, Pakistan will play Scotland at the LCCA ground in a day game, while the hosts will take on West Indies in a day-night fixture on 14 April at the Gaddafi Stadium.Pakistan will face Thailand in their fourth fixture of the event scheduled on 17 April in a day-night fixture at Gaddafi Stadium, while their final group stage match will be against Bangladesh on 19 April at the LCCA ground, which will be a day match. Pakistan fixtures (day matches begin at 9.30am and day/night matches at 2pm local time):vs Ireland – 9 April, Gaddafi Stadium (Day)vs Scotland – 11 April, LCCA (Day)vs West Indies – 14 April, Gaddafi Stadium (D/N)vs Thailand – 17 April, Gaddafi Stadium (D/N)vs Bangladesh – 19 April, LCCA (Day)
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