Islamabad (Sports News): The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), with the support of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), has launched the National Hockey Portal, a nationwide digital platform to identify, register, and nurture young hockey talent from schools across Pakistan.All public and private schools are encouraged to register on the National Hockey Portal at nationalhockeyportal.com and become part of this landmark initiative aimed at reviving Pakistan's national game through a structured grassroots development programme.As part of this national campaign, the Pakistan Hockey Federation will provide hockey equipment to 1,000 schools across Pakistan in phases. Registered schools will also receive technical guidance, coaching support, and opportunities to participate in talent identification and player development programmes.The initiative seeks to create a sustainable pipeline of young players by promoting hockey at the school level and ensuring that talented boys and girls from every province, region, and district are given the opportunity to develop their skills and represent Pakistan in the future.The Pakistan Hockey Federation has called upon all provincial governments, education departments, school administrations, and private educational institutions to actively support the initiative by ensuring the timely registration of schools on the National Hockey Portal. Their cooperation will be instrumental in expanding hockey participation, strengthening grassroots sports, and identifying the next generation of national hockey stars.The Pakistan Hockey Federation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination and the Pakistan Sports Board, remains committed to restoring Pakistan's glorious hockey legacy through modern, technology-driven talent identification and comprehensive grassroots development across the country.

Dambulla (Sports News): Sri Lanka women beat Pakistan women by six wickets in the second T20I at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday to take an unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series. The third match of the series will be played at the same venue on Tuesday, 4 August. After captain Muneeba Ali opted to bat first, Pakistan made a flying start through Muneeba and Shawaal Zulfiqar. The opening pair added 90 runs in 9.5 overs and provided the visitors with an excellent platform.Pakistan raced to 68 without loss in the powerplay, with both openers finding the boundary regularly. Muneeba struck six fours and a six during her 30-ball 45, while Shawaal top-scored with 48 from 35 balls, smashing eight fours.Sri Lanka removed both openers in quick succession, but Pakistan continued to maintain a healthy scoring rate. Eman Naseer contributed 21 from 21 balls, while Saira Jabeen struck three fours in a nine-ball 16.Eyman Fatima provided the late acceleration with an unbeaten 30 from only 19 balls. Her innings included three fours and two sixes and helped Pakistan collect 46 runs from the final five overs. Umm-e-Hani remained unbeaten on two as Pakistan finished on 175 for five from their allotted 20 overs.Chamudi Praboda was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler, taking two wickets for 27 runs.Defending 176, Pakistan made an early breakthrough when Waheeda Akhtar dismissed Imesha Dulani for five in the second over.Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu then counter-attacked with a 15-ball 40, hitting five fours and three sixes. Umm-e-Hani ended her innings before also dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne for 31 to finish as Pakistan’s leading bowler with two wickets for 28 runs from four overs.Sanjana Kavindi, playing her first T20I, scored 46 from 24 balls, while Harshitha Samarawickrama remained unbeaten on 37 from 22 deliveries. Kavisha Dilhari contributed an unbeaten 14 as the hosts achieved the target with four wickets down in 17.4 overs.Scores in brief Pakistan 175-5, 20 overs (Shawaal Zulfiqar 48, Muneeba Ali 45, Eyman Fatima 30 not out; Chamudi Praboda 2-27)Sri Lanka 178-4, 17.4 overs (Sanjana Kavindi 46, Chamari Athapaththu 40, Harshitha Samarawickrama 37 not out; Umm-e-Hani 2-28)Player of the match: Sanjana Kavindi (Sri Lanka)

Alfie MuliganEgypt continued to showcase their dominance by retaining both the men's and women's World Squash Junior Team Championship titles after securing victories over Malaysia and the USA.The World Squash Junior Championships bring together the world's best under-19 squash players, with the men's and women's individual championships having taken place from July 20–25 and the men's and women's team championships being contested from July 26–31.In the opening tie of the day at White Oaks Resort & Spa, Egypt's women's team claimed their 13th World Squash Junior Team Championship title with a commanding 2-0 victory over No.4 seeds Malaysia.With the finals played in a 1-3-2 string order, Egypt made a tactical adjustment by promoting Malika Elkaraksy to first string in place of Ruqayya Salem.Targeting an 11th consecutive women's team title, Elkaraksy made the perfect start, racing into a 2-0 lead over Malaysia's Whitney Wilson after taking the opening two games 11-7, 11-5.The momentum shifted in the third game as Wilson threatened to force a fourth after building a 10-9 lead. However, Elkaraksy showed her composure by saving the game ball before reeling off the next three points to seal a 12-10 victory.With Egypt one win away from retaining the title, 16-year-old Habiba Rizk stepped onto court to face Malaysia's Doyce Ye San Lee.After Lee's gruelling five-game semi-final against Hong Kong, China's Tsz Ching Cheung, she struggled to find her rhythm as Rizk quickly established control.With all the momentum in Egypt's favour, Rizk wrapped up the title with an emphatic 11-2, 11-3, 11-3 victory."I'm really grateful to win this title for Egypt for the 13th time with my amazing team," said Habiba Rizk.“I want to thank the Egyptian Federation and the coaches who helped us reach the final. I also want to thank my family and my coaches back home."I'm really grateful to win this title again with this amazing team."After claiming the opening match, Malika Elkaraksy added: “I’m really happy to win this title with this amazing team. Winning it for the 13th time means everything.“All thanks to the national team, the coaches and family. I’m so happy.”Meanwhile, in the men's final, Egypt claimed a historic ninth World Squash Junior Team Championship title with a convincing 2-0 victory over No.2 seeds USA.Mohamad Zakaria set the tone in the opening match with a straight-games victory over USA's Yaseen Shalaby.Having been pushed to his limits by France's Amir Khaled-Jousselin in yesterday's semi-final, Zakaria ensured there would be no repeat, taking the opening two games 11-5, 11-6.The reigning World Junior Individual champion continued to showcase his class in the third, closing out the match 11-4.The victory meant World No.7 Zakaria completed the last 33 matches of his World Junior career without dropping a single game, a streak stretching back to his defeat to Pakistan's Hamza Khan in the 2023.With Egypt leading 1-0, No.3 string Seifeldin Refaay faced USA's Brendan Tagliarini in the second match of the tie.In what proved to be the title-clinching contest, Refaay made the stronger start, taking the opening game 11-3.From there, the momentum remained firmly with the Egyptian, who doubled his advantage with an 11-5 second game to move his team to the brink of the title.Refaay maintained his dominance in the third, sealing it 11-3 to secure Egypt's third consecutive men's World Squash Junior Team Championship.Zakaria said:“It feels amazing and to close it out like this with such a powerful team like these three guys, it’s amazing.“They’re the best juniors in the world, their level is very high and they are pro players and I think the level was just too far for the rest of the competition.“I want to thank the coaches and physios and everyone who stood by us. I feel like we did a really good job and to close it out like this is probably how I imagined how I would go out after my junior career.”Refaay added: "I'm very happy to be here at the World Juniors, especially in the team event. In the individuals you're only playing for yourself, but in the teams we're playing as one, representing the flag of Egypt."We're so happy to win this event, and all the credit goes to the Egyptian Federation and our coaches"They've been there for us every step of the way. I'm very grateful to be here today."

Islamabad (Sports News): Stephen Fleming has been appointed as England Men's new Test Head Coach, with Joe Root returning to be Men's Test Captain.Fleming has had an 18-year association with Chennai Super Kings, winning five Indian Premier League titles. He will begin his role as Head Coach with this winter's tour of South Africa. Marcus Trescothick will be the interim Head Coach for the upcoming series against Pakistan.Root has already captained the most Men's Test matches and will continue to add to his total, which also includes the most victories as Test captain.

Pakistan's Hamza Khan and Nasir Iqbal Win First-Round MatchesKarachi (Sports Reporter): Matches for the Pakistan Navy Fleet Club Open International Squash Championship have commenced in Karachi. Pakistan's Hamza Khan secured a spot in the pre-quarterfinals by defeating USA's Shahjahan Khan, while Nasir Iqbal defeated Switzerland's Loic Hafiz.Matches kicked off on the opening day of the championship, organized by the Sindh Squash Association, at the Pakistan Navy Roshan Khan-Jahangir Khan Squash Complex. Former World Junior Champion Hamza Khan began his campaign with a victory, defeating USA's Shahjahan in straight games. Hamza outclassed his opponent in just 27 minutes, winning 11-6, 11-9, and 11-4. Nasir Iqbal secured a spot in the pre-quarterfinals by defeating Switzerland's Loic Hafner in straight games. Meanwhile, Pakistan's wildcard entrant Anas Khan suffered a 3-2 defeat against Hong Kong's Matthew Lai despite putting up stiff resistance; the game scores were 2-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, and 11-6.In another match, Egypt's Hafez Abdullah defeated Pakistan's Abdul Saeed in straight games. In other matches, Egypt's Tolba Ali overcame his compatriot Duncan. Brazil's Gobi Diego secured a victory against Japan's Endo Tomotaka. Malaysia's Siu Xian easily defeated Egypt's Labib Khaled 3-0, while Japan's Hashimi Naoki claimed victory over Egypt's Saif Tamer.

Dambulla (SBR):Sri Lanka women began the three-match T20I series on a winning note against Pakistan women as they romped to a six-wicket victory in a successful 177-run chase with six balls left as they were led by Imesha Dulani’s unbeaten century here at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Friday.Pakistan were helped to their highest total in WT20Is on Sri Lankan soil as opening batter Shawaal Zulfiqar registered her maiden half-century for Pakistan scoring a sublime 63 and also shared a 66-run opening stand with Muneeba Ali. For Pakistan, batter Eman Naseer and left-arm spinner Momina Riasat made their WT20I debuts.In pursuit of the chase, Sri Lanka gathered 78 runs in 7.1 overs before Nashra Sundhu picked up her 201st wicket for Pakistan across formats, removing Chamari Athapaththu for a 22-ball 39. Umm-e-Hani was involved in three of the four wickets to fall as Pakistan resisted by taking three for 37 in 30 balls.Hani first employed a brilliant dive at long-on to pouch Athapaththu’s catch in eighth over before removing Vishmi Gunaratne for three in 10th. She was again the catcher when Nashra got rid of Harshitha Samarawickrama for seven in the 13th over.Player of the match Imesha managed to keep the run flow intact with regular boundaries as she hit 17 fours and one six in her match-winning 64-ball 101 not out – her maiden ton in international cricket. Humna Bilal accounted for Kavisha Dilhari to start the penultimate over but Sri Lanka reached the target by the end of it.Earlier, Pakistan were put into bat by Athapaththu and their opening duo replied by taking 64 runs off the powerplay. Muneeba’s rampaging 24-ball 42-run knock was cut short in the seventh over as she was run out after hitting nine fours.Debutant Eman scored 21 before with the help of one four before becoming first of Dilhari’s two scalps. Eman and Shawaal shared a 61-run stand off 51 balls. Shawaal hit 10 fours and one six in her first match for Pakistan since September 2025.Pakistan scored 45 runs off the last 28 balls of their innings Saira Jabeen chipped in with a eight-ball 12-run knock hitting two fours, while Eyman Fatima and Umm-e-Hani also struck a four each.The second match of the series will be played on Sunday, 2 August at the same venue.Scores in briefPakistan 176-7, 20 overs (Shawaal Zulfiqar 63, Muneeba Ali 42, Eman Naseer 21; Kavisha Dilhari 2-36)Sri Lanka 177-4, 19 overs (Imesha Dulani 101 not out, Chamari Athapaththu 39; Nashra Sundhu 2-25) 

Dambulla (SBR): Pakistan and Sri Lanka are set to begin their three-match women’s T20I series from Friday, 31 July at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in Dambulla. The second and third T20Is will be played on 2 and 4 August, respectively.Wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali will be in-charge of the T20I team after regular captain Fatima Sana left for England to take part in the The Hundred tournament following the ODI series. Muneeba, Pakistan’s first women’s T20I centurion and scorer of two hundreds in the format so far, has previously stood in for Fatima once each in T20Is and ODIs.Muneeba led Pakistan against Australia during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Dubai and against Zimbabwe in the third ODI of the series in May earlier this year.Pakistan began the Sri Lanka tour with a win before the hosts came from behind to claim the three-match ODI series 2-1. The two teams moved from Hambantota to Dambulla on Wednesday and took part in a three-hour training session on Thursday.A total of eight changes have been made to Pakistan’s T20I squad that featured in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. In head-to-head fixtures, Pakistan have an edge over Sri Lanka with 11 wins out of 21 WT20I matches and one game ended as no result. Pakistan and Sri Lanka women have only played three bilateral T20I series with Sri Lanka winning the inaugural one in Sharjah by 2-1 in January 2015.In March 2018, Pakistan won by 2-1 in Colombo including a thrilling one-wicket victory, while in May 2022, Pakistan clean swept Sri Lanka 3-0 in Karachi.Muneeba Ali, Pakistan women's T20I captain: "We look forward to competing hard in the T20I series here in Dambulla and the aim is to finish the tour on a high with series win. It is an honour for me to lead Pakistan at any given opportunity and I'll do my best to contribute towards the development of youngsters and produce positive results for the team."We have a number of young and up-and-coming players in the T20I squad and it will be exciting to see them ply their trade on the top level against some of the best players."We are aware of Sri Lanka's capability to bounce back from any situation and we will look to take the field with the best preparation and planning possible."Pakistan T20I squad:Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (captain), Ayesha Zafar, Eman Naseer, Eyman Fatima, Humna Bilal, Maham Anees, Momina Riasat, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Saira Jabeen, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda AkhtarPlayer support personnel:Ayesha Ashhar (manager), Wahab Riaz (mentor/head coach), Abdur Rehman (spin bowling coach), Umaid Asif (fast bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Imran Farhat (batting coach), Raza Kitchlew (media manager), Waleed Ahmed (analyst), Tehreem Sumbal (physiotherapist)Sri Lanka T20I squad in alphabetical order:Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Chamudi Praboda, Harshitha Samarawickrama (wk), Hasini Perera, Imesha Dulani, Kaushini Nuthyangana, Kaveesha Dilhari, Kawya Kavindi, Malki Madara, Nilakshika Silva, Nimasha Meepage, Rashmika Sewwandi, Sanjana Kavindi, Sugandika Kumari and Vishmi Gunaratne.Tour schedule: (All matches to begin at 9.30am Pakistan time)23 July – Pakistan won by five wickets25 July – Sri Lanka won by eight wickets28 July – Sri Lanka won by eight wickets31 July – First T20I at Rangiri Dambulla International cricket stadium, Dambulla2 August – Second T20I at Rangiri Dambulla International cricket stadium, Dambulla4 August – Third T20I at Rangiri Dambulla International cricket stadium, Dambulla

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan men’s hockey team overpowered South Korea 3-1 in the first match of the 4-Test match tie here at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex, on Thursday. Mohammad Sufyan scored two goals while skipper Mohammad Abubakar scored one for Pakistan. Jang Ji-Hun scored the solitary goal for South Korea.Both teams started the game at a slow, cautious pace. They tried their best to keep the ball in control, as the first quarter ended goalless. Pakistan made a couple of attempts but could not move the scoreboard. Meanwhile, in the second quarter, the hosts earned the lead when Sufyan penalty corner push went into the goalpost. Jang Ji leveled the match 1-1 after scoring a goal on short-corner.

Pakistan thrash Bangladesh 3-0 in a gold medal match; Sri Lanka claim bronze medalAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Hosts Pakistan outplayed Bangladesh in straight games 3-0 in the final of the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Men's Volleyball Championship 2026 here at the Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Wednesday. The final score-line was 25-20, 25-16, and 25-20.In the first set, spikers of both teams started the game aggressively and tried to earn vital points to post a lead on the scoreboard early. The game went neck-and-neck and was even at 7-7. Pakistani players displayed top-quality game and maintained an important lead at 10-7 after scoring back-to-back three points. Hosts won the game at 25-20.Meanwhile, in the second game, Pakistani enough good to finish the game at 25-16 despite of that the game was leveled at 4-4, 5-5, 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10. Skipper Jehan, Khyzer Hayat and Masawer showed nice skills of the volleyball; Pakistan finished the last set at 25-20 to lift the champions' trophy.Pakistan entered the final with an unbeaten record and continued its outstanding form by dominating every department of the game. The Green Shirts combined powerful serving, disciplined blocking, quick attacks, and outstanding defense to keep Bangladesh under constant pressure.Bangladesh attempted to mount a comeback in the third set, but Pakistan remained composed and controlled the crucial points before sealing a convincing 25–20 victory to lift the championship trophy in front of an ecstatic home crowd.Sri Lanka beat Uzbekistan 3-2 in third-place play-off: The final day's action began with the 3rd Place Match between Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan, producing another exciting five-set encounter. Sri Lanka made a strong start by taking the opening set before Uzbekistan responded to level the match. The two teams continued exchanging sets in a thrilling contest that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.In the decisive fifth set, Sri Lanka displayed remarkable composure and determination to seal the victory and secure the bronze medal. Sri Lanka defeated Uzbekistan 3–2 with the set score of 25–19, 22–25, 25–23, 19–25 and 15–11. The victory earned Sri Lanka a well-deserved third-place finish, while Uzbekistan concluded the championship in fourth position.Final Championship Rankings:First: PakistanSecond: BangladeshThird: Sri Lanka4th Place: Uzbekistan5th Place: Kazakhstan6th Place: NepalDream Team Awards:Outside Hitter: Murad Jehan (Pakistan)Outside Hitter: Tharusha Chamath Dilshan Weerappulige (Sri Lanka)Middle Blocker: Musawer Khan (Pakistan)Middle Blocker: Md Naieem Hossen (Bangladesh)Setter: Al Amin MD (Bangladesh)Opposite Player: Murad Khan (Pakistan)Libero: Md Shaon Ali (Bangladesh)Most Valuable Player (MVP): Murad Jehan (Pakistan).

Islamabad (Sports Report): Seam bowlers called the shots in the first match of the ICC World Test Championship series between the West Indies and Pakistan in Tarouba, which the home side won by 90 runs, and the movements in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings reflect that.Player of the Match Justin Greaves finished with a career-best match haul of seven for 39 and gained 21 places to reach a career-high 48th position and his team-mate Jayden Seales moved up five places to 24th after finishing with a five-for in the second innings. Greaves has also advanced eight slots to ninth in the all-rounders’ list.Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas, who has been ranked as high as third (in 2018), made his first appearance in the top 20 since late 2021 as he advanced nine places ahead to 17th after his match haul of eight for 85.The batting rankings see Pakistan captain Babar Azam move up four slots to 15th after an unbeaten 58 in the second innings while Shan Masood’s 109 in the first innings has lifted him eight places to 36th. Shai Hope’s 92 in the first innings has taken him from 51st to 39th and Kavem Hodge is up to 60th after a seven-slot gain.India captain Shubman Gill begins his third stint as the top-ranked ODI batter after New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell conceded the top spot, missing the final ODI against the West Indies in Bridgetown due to a low-grade hip strain.The New Zealand pair of Will Young (up three places to joint-38th) and Tom Latham (up five places to 46th) and the West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford (up 13 places to 45th) have moved up the batting rankings. With the ball, Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz had remarkable figures of 10-2-21-1 against the Netherlands and 10-2-14-0 against Nepal to move up five places to seventh in the ODI rankings.India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has surged ahead to 48th position in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after his Player of the Series effort in Zimbabwe helped him gallop 230 places. He finished with 151 runs in three innings that boasted a 19-ball 50 in the first match and a 49-ball 81 in the third.Others to move up the T20I rankings include Tilak Varma (up two places to sixth) and Shreyas Iyer (up seven places to 24th) in the batting rankings. Blessing Muzarabani (up 10 places to 26th) and Ravi Bishnoi (up 31 places to 41st) have advanced in the bowling rankings.