Lahore (PR): Pakistan football is set to enter a new chapter as the country’s U-16 men’s national team prepares to feature in a UEFA-sanctioned competition for the first time in history, with matches scheduled to be played in Kazakhstan from April 24 to 30.The landmark participation represents a significant milestone for Pakistan’s youth football programme and reflects the renewed international engagement and reform-driven vision of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). The development comes under the leadership of PFF President Syed Mohsen Gillani, whose tenure has focused on restoring Pakistan’s presence on the global football stage through structured planning, governance reforms, and increased international exposure for emerging talent.Officials within the PFF view the invitation to a UEFA competition as a major endorsement of Pakistan football’s credibility, particularly at the grassroots and youth levels. Competing against international opposition in a high-standard environment is expected to provide invaluable experience to young Pakistani players and accelerate their technical and tactical development. The initiative aligns with the PFF’s broader strategy to strengthen the national football pathway by offering consistent competitive opportunities beyond the regional level. By engaging with UEFA competitions and international federations, the PFF aims to bridge the development gap and prepare future national players for elite-level football. “This is not just a tournament appearance; it is a statement of intent,” a PFF official said, noting that the opportunity highlights Pakistan’s growing acceptance within the international football community after years of administrative challenges and isolation. The U-16 team’s participation is also being viewed as a symbol of renewed confidence in Pakistan football’s governance and direction, showing the Pakistan Football Federation and its leadership’s commitment to long-term planning, youth investment, and international collaboration. The PFF official added: "As Pakistan’s young footballers prepare to test their skills on a European platform, the historic tour is expected to inspire the next generation and reinforce the belief that Pakistan can steadily reclaim its place in global football through structured development and sustained international engagement."

Karachi, Pakistan (Sports News): Former World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy held off an inspired comeback from Pakistan No.1 Noor Zaman to clinch a five-game thriller and advance to the semi-finals of the Rich Venus Karachi Open 2026. No.5 seed ElShorbagy was forced to show all his years of experience to negate both an attacking onslaught from Zaman and the vocal crowd inside DA Creek Club to prevail by an 11-2, 11-8, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9 scoreline. After a nervy start to his first Gold quarter-final appearance in which he fell 2-0 down in a flash, Zaman began to find his marks as the third game got underway, firing in a string of high-tariff winners. The World No.38 rode the wave of momentum to force a decider, and moved his way into the latter stages of the fifth level-pegging with the Englishman. However, ElShorbagy's big-match experience came to the fore in the subsequent deciding moments of the match, with the 34-year-old edging ahead from 8-8 to clinch a thrilling win after 58 minutes of play. "I felt quite comfortable in the first two games, maybe he got caught up with the stage a little bit," ElShorbagy said after the match. "Definitely, the vibe of the match changed at the start of the third game. He started motivating himself. He was like a train - it was really hard to stop him. "Of course, I did doubt myself. I haven't won tough matches like this in a while. So to get a win is great. I'm just really glad to get through and to be into the semis."No.5 seed Mohamad Zakaria was the other men's winner on day four after he put Hong Kong's Alex Lau to the sword with a clinical 29-minute victory. The two-time World Junior Champion looked in top form as he set up a semi-final showdown with top seed Karim Gawad by an 11-0, 11-3, 11-6 scoreline. In the women's event, World No.33 Aifa Azman claimed one of the biggest wins of her career as she stunned No.3 seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir to reach her maiden Gold-level semi-final on the PSA Squash Tour. No.8 seed Azman had won the pair’s last meeting on tour at the 2025 Australian Open, and made it two wins from their last two meetings with a brilliant attacking display on the all-glass court in DA Creek Club.  The Malaysian produced some gutsy squash, in particular, to come from two game balls down in the second to take the subsequent tie-break, before racing through to a three-game win against an under-par Aboelkheir after 32 minutes of play. After the match, Azman said: “I don’t know how to describe my feelings right now! I’m just so thankful for my team and my family. I’m so happy to win 3-0 this time.“[My sister] and I have both seen each other go through our ups and downs with injuries. So I’m just happy that we are starting 2026 really well – she made the quarter-final as well – but I’m really happy I got one step further than her! I’m really grateful for all her support and I’m proud of both of us.”Azman will face fellow Malaysian Sivasangari Subramaniam in the semi-finals, after the No.2 seed overcame a slow start to defeat England's Lucy Turmel. Despite falling 7-2 down early on in the first game, World No.7 Sivasangari maintained a cool composure to battle her way back into the match and clinch a 13-11, 11-7, 11-9 victory over the World No.30. Results – Men’s Quarter-Finals: Rich Venus Karachi Open 2026[5] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) bt Alex Lau (HKG) 3-0: 11-0, 11-3, 11-6 (29m)[4] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) bt Noor Zaman (PAK) 3-2: 11-2, 11-8, 6-11, 8-11, 11-9 (58m)Results – Women’s Quarter-Finals: Rich Venus Karachi Open 2026[8] Aifa Azman (MAS) bt [3] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 13-11, 11-3 (32m)[2] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) bt [7] Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 11-7, 11-9 (35m)Draw – Men's Semi-Finals: To Be Played January 10[1] Karim Gawad (EGY) v [5] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY)[4] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) v [6] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY)Draw – Women's Semi-Finals: To Be Played January 10[1] Amina Orfi (EGY) v [4] Nada Abbas (EGY) [8] Aifa Azman (MAS) v [2] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS)

 Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the HBL PSL Teams Auction 2026 for induction of two new Franchises, marking a significant milestone in the continued growth and evolution of the league. As a result of the auction process, Team 7 has been awarded to Hyderabad, while Team 8 will represent Sialkot, officially expanding the HBL PSL to eight teams.The auction attracted strong interest from prospective investors, with nine bidders participating in the Live Auction at Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad, reflecting the growing commercial strength, global appeal, and long-term sustainability of the HBL PSL. The induction of Hyderabad & Sialkot Teams further strengthens the league’s national footprint and underscores PCB’s commitment to inclusivity, regional representation, and fan engagement across Pakistan.In the first round of the Auction, the base price for the seventh team was set at PKR 110 crore and after a fierce round of bidding US-based FKS Group led by Mr Fawad Sarwar made the winning bid worth PKR 1,750,000,000 and chose Hyderabad out of the six available city names.The second round saw the base price of the eighth team set to PKR 170 crore, which led to deep interest from the investors as there were two calls for strategic timeout. In the end OZ Group led by Mr Hamza Majeed snapped the eighth team for PKR 1,850,000,000 and chose Sialkot as their team.Congratulating the successful bidders, PCB Chairman, Mr. Mohsin Naqvi, welcomed the new franchise owners into the HBL PSL family:“The expansion of the HBL Pakistan Super League with the addition of Hyderabad and Sialkot is a landmark moment for Pakistan cricket. We warmly welcome the new franchise owners and look forward to their contribution in strengthening the league, enhancing competition, and further elevating the HBL PSL’s global stature.”Chief Executive Officer of the HBL PSL, Mr. Salman Naseer, also expressed his confidence in the expansion:“The successful live and competitive auction reflects the immense trust investors have in the HBL PSL brand. Hyderabad and Sialkot bring with them rich sporting heritage and passionate fan bases. We are keenly looking forward to working closely with the new owners to deliver an even more compelling and competitive HBL PSL experience for fans worldwide. The League is thriving and we can't wait for the next few weeks to unfold as they promise to be even more exciting.”The owner of the Hyderabad franchise, Mr. Fawad Sarwar expressed their appreciation and enthusiasm:“We are delighted to have successfully secured the Hyderabad franchise in the HBL Pakistan Super League. This is an exciting new chapter for FKS Group, and we look forward to bringing our philosophy of professional management, innovation, and excellence of execution to the HBL PSL. The league presents both tremendous opportunity and meaningful challenges, and we are fully committed to building a franchise that represents Hyderabad with pride and contributes positively to the growth of Pakistan cricket across the world.Similarly, the owner of the Sialkot franchise, Mr. Hamza Majeed shared his excitement at joining the league:“"It is a tremendous honour to acquire a franchise in the HBL Pakistan Super League, and we are delighted to bring the league to Sialkot, a city that has contributed immensely to Pakistan’s sporting identity. It is both a privilege and a huge responsibility to become the league's eighth team as we begin our journey in HBL PSL 11 with pride and ambition."Sialkot has a rich legacy of cricket and sporting excellence, from producing world-class sports equipment to achieving notable success in domestic cricket, including T20 titles. This team is for the people of Sialkot and their energy, pride and love for the game will be our greatest strength. We are honoured to represent this historic city on the HBL PSL stage and are committed to building a franchise that reflects its winning spirit. We also look forward to contributing to the continued success of the league in close coordination with HBL PSL management and the seven other teams."With the addition of Hyderabad & Sialkot, the HBL PSL enters a new era of expansion, competitiveness, and opportunity. The PCB and HBL PSL Management will work closely with the new franchises to ensure seamless integration ahead of upcoming HBL PSL 11 and beyond.

Karachi, Pakistan (Sports News): World No.14 Aly Abou Eleinen claimed his biggest scalp of the 2025/26 season after a dominant performance saw him defeat No.2 seed Marwan ElShorbagy at the Rich Venus Karachi Open 2026. Eleinen, who has had his battles with injuries over the last 12 months, looked back to his best on the all-glass court at DA Creek Club, with the Egyptian racing through to the semi-finals of the Gold-level event by an 11-7, 11-1, 11-9 scoreline. After edging a high-quality first game by asserting himself in the closing exchanges, Eleinen continued to build momentum as the match progressed, dictating a one-sided second game to the loss of a single point. Despite an ElShorbagy resurgence early on in the third game, Eleinen once again raised his level to pull away from 7-7 to seal a thoroughly deserved victory after 41 minutes of play. After the match, Eleinen said: "In my preparation for the match, I just wanted to focus on me. The whole season, I have just tried to focus on myself, and if I can do this against Marwan, it's a good sign because he's such a good player. I'm really pleased with that performance today."I wanted to find my targets on that court today. I knew that Marwan had played an extra match on the glass court yesterday, so it was just about adapting as quickly as possible today and I think I did that."Top seed Karim Gawad was the other winner in the men's draw on day three, with the former World No.1 battling past Malaysian No.1 Eain Yow Ng in a testing three-game clash. Gawad had to produce some quality squash throughout the 50-minute encounter to prevail in straight games, with No.7 seed Eain Yow holding multiple game balls on his racket in an entertaining third game. However, the World No.4 managed to show his class in the pressure moments to progress by an 11-3, 11-8, 16-14 scoreline. Meanwhile, in the women's event, top seed Amina Orfi and Nada Abbas set up a semi-final tie after coming through their respective encounters with Aira Azman and Farida Mohamed.  Despite having never dropped a game against No.6 seed Azman from their three prior meetings on the PSA Squash Tour, four-time World Junior Champion Orfi was given a stern test by the Malaysian. On a severe court which brought the best out of Azman's deceptive short game, Orfi had to be on her mettle at numerous stages of the match to eventually progress. After a slow start, the World No.3 managed to overturn a 7-2 deficit in the first game while later moving away from 8-8 in the crucial fourth game when a decider looked very much on the cards. After the match, Orfi said: "I think today Aira played very well. Maybe I didn't quite play that well. Today, she had nothing to lose with our last three matches all going 3-0 to me. I'm happy to get through today because I think she played well."Meanwhile, No.4 seed Abbas battled through illness to defeat No.5 seed Mohamed in a back-and-forth all-Egyptian encounter. After trading games into a decider, an injury to Mohamed's shoulder when clattering into the sidewall proved decisive when she was well placed at 6-3 up in the fifth. Upon resumption, it was Abbas who managed to take eight from the next eleven points to advance to the semi-finals. The quarter-finals of the Rich Venus KaResults – Men’s Quarter-Finals: Rich Venus Karachi Open 2026[1] Karim Gawad (EGY) bt [7] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 16-14 (50m)[6] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) bt [2] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-9 (41m)Results – Women’s Quarter-Finals: Rich Venus Karachi Open 2026[1] Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [6] Aira Azman (MAS) 3-1: 12-10, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8 (51m)[4] Nada Abbas (EGY) bt [5] Farida Mohamed (EGY) 3-2: 11-4, 9-11, 11-6, 0-11, 11-9 (52m)Draw – Men's Quarter-Finals: To Be Played January 9[4] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) v Noor Zaman (PAK) [6] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) v [2] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG)Draw – Women's Quarter-Finals: To Be Played January 9[3] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) v [8] Aifa Azman (MAS)[7] Lucy Turmel (ENG) v [2] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) 

Islamabad (Sports News): Seventeen umpires and four match referees from the Emirates ICC International Panels of Umpires and Referees will officiate at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 in Zimbabwe and Namibia.Thirteen different nationalities will be represented, including two umpires from one of the host nations, Zimbabwe.Forster Mutizwa, who represented Zimbabwe 21 times across all three formats, will be joined by compatriot Iknow Chabi as two of the 18 umpires.Among the others who will officiate in the tournament are former West Indies international Deighton Butler, and Englishman Graham Lloyd, whose father David was an accomplished umpire in his own right before going onto become an acclaimed broadcaster.The four match referees are Dean Cosker, of England, India’s Prakash Bhatt, as well as Graeme La Brooy and Neeyamur Rahul, who represented Sri Lanka and Bangladesh internationally respectively.ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta said: “This ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a tremendous opportunity for rising stars in the game to shine, but it is also an invaluable reward system for up-and-coming match officials.“We hope that this will be the perfect springboard for their careers as we see them progress in their officiating journeys.”Match officials for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026:Umpires: Ahmad Shah Durrani (Afg), Aidan Seaver (Ire), Cory Black (NZ), Deighton Butler (WI), Faisal Afridi (Pak), Forster Mutizwa (Zim), Graham Lloyd (Eng), Iknow Chabi (Zim), Lubabalo Gcuma (SA), Masudur Mukul (Ban), Nitin Bathi (Neth), Prageeth Rambukwella (SL), Russell Warren (Eng), Shaun Haig (NZ), Shawn Craig (Aus), Virender Sharma (Ind), Zahid Bassarath (WI).Referees: Dean Cosker (Eng), Graeme La Brooy (SL), Neeyamur Rahul (Ban), Prakash Bhatt (Ind).

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Top seed Karim Gawad and No.3 seed Fayrouz Aboelkheir narrowly avoided shock second-round exits at the Rich Venus Karachi Open 2026, with the pair coming through nervy five-game encounters at the Gold-level event. Former World No.1 Gawad, who, with victory this week, will overtake World No.3 Diego Elias in the PSA Rankings, battled back to defeat Pakistan's Mohammad Ashab Irfan in five games, while Aboelkheir edged past Hong Kong's Chan Sin Yuk in a thrilling fifth-game tie-break. At 2-0 down, and 5-2 down in the third game, World No.4 Gawad looked in serious trouble against an inspired showing from World No.47 Ashab Irfan. However, the 34-year-old drew upon all his years of experience to flip the match on its head as the physical toll of Ashab Irfan's early efforts began to tell. The Egyptian clinched the key third game 11-8, before easing through the subsequent two games to book his spot in the quarter-finals after 56 minutes of play. “I’m really happy to get through to the quarters today," Gawad said after the match. "Irfan was my training partner when I was in Houston, staying there for the full summer in 2023, so I knew how tough it was going to be today. “I wasn’t as quick as I should have been in the early stages. I wasn’t there quite physically and I should have waited a little bit for my chances to attack. That is what I did in the final three games and I didn’t allow him to attack as much.”Meanwhile, on the same court where she was crowned U23 World Champion last April, World No.9 Aboelkheir came through an entertaining five-game clash with the unseeded Sin Yuk. In a match that pitted Aboelkheir against her opponent from that memorable day at DA Creek Club, the Egyptian was forced to maintain her composure deep in a frantic fifth game, saving a match ball at 11-10 down before clinching victory after 46 minutes of high-octane squash. Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Alex Lau advanced to his first Gold-event quarter-final after overcoming an injury-hampered World No.6 Youssef Ibrahim in five games, setting up a tie with World Junior Champion Mohamad Zakaria. Pakistan's Noor Zaman remains the sole home hope left in the event, following a contentious ending to his matchup with No.8 seed Fares Dessouky. The Pakistani No.1 led 7-3 in the fifth game before a debate between Dessouky and the match referee ended in a conduct match being awarded in Zaman's favour. Results (Men’s Round-2):[1] Karim Gawad (EGY) beat Mohammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) 3-2: 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (56m)[7] Eain Yow Ng (MAS) beat Iker Pajares (ESP) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-8 (47m)[5] Mohamad Zakaria (EGY) beat Nasir Iqbal (PAK) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5 (53m)Alex Lau (HKG) beat [3] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) 3-2: 11-9, 4-11, 11-1, 7-11, 11-8 (45m)[4] Mohamed ElShorbagy (ENG) beat Karim El Hammamy (EGY) 3-1: 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (56m)Noor Zaman (PAK) beat [8] Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-2: 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 7-3 [conduct match] (60m)[6] Aly Abou Eleinen (EGY) beat Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (29m)[2] Marwan ElShorbagy (ENG) beat Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-5 (27m)Results (Women’s Round-2):[1] Amina Orfi (EGY) beat Haya Ali (EGY) 3-0: 11-1, 11-7, 11-2 (20m)[6] Aira Azman (MAS) beat Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 13-11 (26m)[5] Farida Mohamed (EGY) beat Amina El Rihany (EGY) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 12-10 (24m)[4] Nada Abbas (EGY) beat Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8 (58m)[3] Fayrouz Aboelkheir (EGY) beat Sin Yuk Chan (HKG) 3-2: 11-5, 9-11, 10-12, 11-5, 13-11 (46m)[8] Aifa Azman (MAS) beat Nardine Garas (EGY) 3-1: 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (33m)[7] Lucy Turmel (ENG) beat Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-2, 11-7 (26m)[2] Sivasangari Subramaniam (MAS) beat Nadine Shahin (EGY) 3-1: 11-2, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8 (29m).

   Dubai (Sports News): Legendary Pakistan cricketer and DP World ILT20 commentator Wasim Akram has praised the DP World ILT20’s rise as a global T20 league, highlighting the quality of cricket and the rapid development of UAE players across four seasons.On Sunday night, the Desert Vipers clinched their maiden DP World ILT20 title with a victory over MI Emirates in front of a full house at the Dubai International Stadium.Reflecting on the atmosphere at the blockbuster final, Wasim Akram said, “You can see the atmosphere outside, it’s a packed house. Families, kids, all enjoying the game. My call time was at four in the afternoon and when I arrived it was already full. That shows this league is going places. I think it’s definitely up there with the top leagues in the world. The cricket has been exceptional, so many games going down to the last over, including a Super Over and that’s what makes this tournament special.”The icon with 916 wickets across formats pointed to the impact made by UAE players as one of the most encouraging aspects of the season.He opined, “What makes me happy is the way the UAE players performed. Players like Mohammad Waseem [MI Emirates], Khuzaima Tanveer [Desert Vipers], Ajay Kumar [Abu Dhabi Knight Riders], and of course Zahoor Khan [MI Emirates] before his injury — they’ve all done well.“Tanveer got 17 wickets, and his length was excellent. Ajay Kumar also impressed everyone. Zahoor is a specialist — after 12 or 13 overs he would come in and bowl three overs, and he was MI Emirates’ main bowler at the back end.”Associated with the DP World ILT20 since its inaugural season, the 59-year-old noted the league’s evolution and the clear improvement in local talent, reflected in the race for the tournament’s signature belts. Mohammad Waseem finished second in the race for the Green Belt (Best Batter) and secured the fourth place in the hunt for the Red Belt (Most Valuable Player). Meanwhile Abu Dhabi Knight Riders’ Ajay Kumar picked up 18 wickets – the same number as the White Belt (Best Bowler) winner, Dubai Capitals’ Waqar Salamkheil.“If you look from the first year to the fourth year, you can see how much the local talent has improved. There are belts for batting, for MVP, for bowling — and now your bowlers are competing for them. That tells you how much this league is about developing local talent. Everyone knows their names now. You didn’t know them in the first year, not even the second, but you’re getting better performances every year.”Looking ahead, he stressed the importance of longer-format cricket as a foundation for sustained progress for UAE.“If you want to further improve your cricket, you must play longer formats as well. You can start with two-day cricket, 75 or 90 overs an innings, so players learn how to bat long, bowlers can learn how to set up a batter, how to get him out without just relying on them hitting shots. Eventually you can move to three-day cricket. That’s very important if you want to play against top teams in the future.”

Karachi (Sports News): Pakistan's Nasir Iqbal, Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan registered wins on the opening day of the Karachi Open Squash Championship 2026.Wildcard Iqbal and Pakistan No.1 Zaman claimed respective five-game wins over Moustafa Elsirty and Melvil Scianimanico to delight the home crowds within DA Creek Club, while Ashab Irfan raced past Ryunosuke Tsukue in three games. World No.134 Iqbal has enjoyed a wealth of success on home soil throughout his career, with 11 of his 18 PSA Tour titles coming in Pakistan - and the 31-year-old continued this strong record after battling back from two games down to defeat World No.45 Elsirty. After setting up a tie with No.5 seed Mohamad Zakaria, Iqbal said: “It was a really great match today. It was so supportive playing in front of a home crowd. Events like this will be so good for the younger generation of players.“In the first two games, I was a bit slow in the midcourt, and after going 2-0 down, I got told to push Moustafa to the back two corners because he’s so tall. When I pushed him back, it gave me some room and allowed me to play in short."Meanwhile, 21-year-old Zaman got the better of fellow up-and-coming star Scianimanico in a topsy-turvy five-game duel. Despite dropping two games in a mid-match slump, the World No.38 recovered to seal an 11-9, 10-12, 3-11, 11-6, 11-6 win. In the women's draw, England's Torrie Malik claimed the standout win after battling back from two games down to advance past Egypt's Menna Hamed.Despite spurning game balls in both the opening games, World No.42 Malik rallied in impressive style, fighting back to defeat the World No.52 by a 13-15, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 scoreline.Results (Men’s Round One):Mohammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-9 (25m)Iker Pajares (ESP) bt [WC] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 (27m)[WC] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt Moustafa Elsirty (EGY) 3-2: 5-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6 (56m)Alex Lau (HKG) bt Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (38m)Karim El Hammamy (EGY) bt Ivan Perez (ESP) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (56m)Noor Zaman (PAK) bt Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) 3-2: 11-9, 10-12, 3-11, 11-6, 11-6 (49m)Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bt Shahjahan Khan (USA) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 (47m)Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt Henry Leung (HKG) 3-1: 12-10, 11-3, 3-11, 11-4 (48mResults (Women’s Round One):Haya Ali (EGY) bt Nour Heikal (EGY) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (23m)Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bt Ainaa Amani (MAS) 3-2: 7-11, 11-8, 11-2, 3-11, 11-6 (38m)Amina El Rihany (EGY) bt Marie Stephan (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-7, 11-5 (25m)Mariam Metwally (EGY) bt [WC] Sana Bahadar (PAK) 3-0: 11-4, 11-1, 11-6 (15m)Sin Yuk Chan (HKG) bt [WC] Mariam Malik (PAK) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-0 (14m)Nardine Garas (EGY) bt Tsz-Wing Tong (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 (27m)Torrie Malik (ENG) bt Menna Hamed (EGY) 3-2: 13-15, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt Habiba Hani (EGY) 3-0: 12-10, 11-7, 11-4 (25m)

Harare (PCB Report): A record-breaking century from Sameer Minhas powered Pakistan U19 to a commanding nine-wicket win over hosts Zimbabwe U19 in the final of the U19 tri-series at the Old Hararians in Harare on Tuesday afternoon. This success marked Pakistan U19 back-to-back titles, following their eight-team ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup win last month, where they defeated India by 191 runs in the final in Dubai.Chasing 159 to win, Pakistan wrapped up the contest in just 16.2 overs, finishing with 202 balls to spare.Right-handed batter Sameer scored a blistering 114 off 51 balls, an innings that included 17 fours and five sixes. It was Sameer’s second century of the tri-series. He brought up his hundred in just 42 balls, surpassing India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had struck a 52-ball century against England U19 in July 2025.Earlier, Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf opted to field first, a decision that paid rich dividends as the bowling unit kept Zimbabwe under constant pressure. Right-arm fast bowler Umar Zaib led the charge with an impressive four-wicket haul, while Abdul Subhan provided able support by taking two wickets.Zimbabwe struggled to build momentum after losing early wickets and were reduced to 15 for five inside seven overs. Michael Blignaut top-scored with 60 off 102 balls, while Tatenda Chimugoro added an unbeaten 28. However, regular breakthroughs ensured the hosts were dismissed for 158 in 44.4 overs.In turn, Sameer turned the final into a one-sided affair, sharing a 145-run opening-wicket partnership with Mohammad Shayan, who remained unbeaten on 38 off 42 balls, including four fours and one six.With this emphatic win, Pakistan U19 will now turn their attention to the ICC U19 World Cup, set to begin in Zimbabwe and Namibia from 15 January.Scores in brief:Pakistan U19 won by nine wicketsZimbabwe U19 158 all out, 44.4 overs (Michael Blignaut 60, Tatenda Chimugoro 28*; Umar Zaib 4-20, Abdul Subhan 2-25)Pakistan U19 160-1, 16.2 overs (Sameer Minhas 114, Mohammad Shayan 38 not out)Player of the match: Umar Zaib (Pakistan U19)Player of the tournament: Sameer Minhas (Pakistan U19)

Karachi (Sports News): Duo of Punjabi snooker players Musa Tanveer and Mohammad Kasan qualified for semifinalsof the 3rd Junior U-17 National Snooker Championship 2026 after winning their respective matches here at Jahangir Khan Sports Complex on Tuesday.Results (Round 2):Daniyal Shahzad Isb bt Farhan Ali (Pjb) 3-2 (51-37, 64-20(51), 24-57, 0-71, 57-46)Bilal Ahmed (Kpk) bt Subhan Akbar (Sindh) 3-1(45-11, 54-47, 27-50, 67-37)Mohammad Muaaz (Bal) bt Saif Uddin (Kpk) 3-2 (28-46, 67-37, 34-47, 51-35, 66-37)Musa Tanveer- (Pjb) bt Rehan Ali (Sindh) 3-0 (48-18, 86-38, 44-33)Results (Quarterfinals):Farhan Ali (Pjb) bt Ayan Ali (Sindh) 4-0 (56-41, 95(95)-0, 57-28, 67-13)Daniyal Shahzad (Isb) bt Rehan Ali (Sindh) 4-1(60-34, 40-52, 54-72, 81-38, 59-24).