Sports Bulletin Report MEIRINGEN:-Following Sport Climbing’s Olympic debut in the Japanese city of Tokyo last summer, this weekend saw the highly anticipated season-opener of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) 2022 World Cup Series in Meiringen, Switzerland. After Slovenian Olympian Janja Garnbret claimed the win in the women’s final of the IFSC Boulder World Cup Meiringen 2022 yesterday evening, today it was Japanese Olympian Narasaki Tomoa’s turn to climb atop the podium in the men’s final. It was a strong start to the final for Narasaki Tomoa of Japan, who flashed – used only one attempt – the first boulder problem in under 60 seconds. However, after failing to secure a top on the subsequent two blocs, the 25-year-old landed in sixth position ahead of the fourth boulder. Swinging through the sequence of the final bloc, the Olympian found himself another top and thus, jumped from the bottom to the top of the scoreboard. With two tops and three zones, two-time Boulder World Champion Narasaki earned the fifth IFSC World Cup gold medal of his career, throwing his arms into the air and cheering to the crowd of the Kletterhalle Haslital. “I feel that the energy of the audience generated my power and finally I could reach the top. That was an amazing moment for me!” said Narasaki. “The target for this season is quite obvious for me – to be a third time overall [Boulder] champion. I found today that the style of Boulder routesetting seems to be more dynamic, so maybe I need to make some adjustments for the coming competitions,” he added. Team Japan also claimed the second position on the podium in the Meiringen men’s final, with Narasaki’s teammate, Ogata Yoshiyuki, taking the silver medal. Clinging to the top of the wall after finding a solution on bloc number four, Ogata concluded the final with two tops and three zones, walking away with his sixth IFSC World Cup medal so far. The 24-year-old ranked second due to using more attempts than his compatriot in first place. Having made his debut on the senior Sport Climbing circuit last year, Mejdi Schalck of France earned his second IFSC World Cup medal this evening. With two tops and three zones, Schalck secured bronze, adding it to the silver medal that the 17-year-old won at the IFSC Boulder World Cup Salt Lake City 2021. The rising-star ranked third due to using more attempts than Narasaki and Ogata, though impressively, was the only athlete to find a top on bloc two – which involved a jump up to a crack formation, before a further dyno to the final overhanging, dual-textured top hold. Also of France, Paul Jenft placed fourth, with Olympian Colin Duffy, of the USA, and current Boulder World Champion Fujii Kokoro, of Japan, ranking fifth and sixth, respectively.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai:-Following the recent decision to expand the ICC Women’s Championship to ten teams, the ICC Board approved a recommendation that ODI status be extended to a number of Associate Member women’s teams to enable them to progress to global qualifying events based on ODI rankings. Governance The ICC Board received an update from the Afghanistan Working Group which recommended Mirwais Ashraf as the ACB’s appointed representative to the Board. The Working Group advised the Board that the ICC was continuing to support the Afghanistan Men’s team to play international cricket while monitoring the governance of the sport in the country including the development of the women’s game. The ACB confirmed their continued commitment to developing women’s cricket and will submit a full action plan and budget to do so to the Working Group which will continue to monitor the situation and receive regular updates on its progress. Cricket Following the recent decision to expand the ICC Women’s Championship to ten teams, the ICC Board approved a recommendation that ODI status be extended to a number of Associate Member women’s teams to enable them to progress to global qualifying events based on ODI rankings. The CEC were updated on the use of home umpires from July 2020 to February 2022 due to COVID. The Committee acknowledged that the performance of home umpires was strong and had not affected games. The use of home umpires had also led to 12 members of the International Panel umpires making their Test match debut. In line with a previous recommendation from the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, the CEC agreed that more neutral match officials should be utilised as travel restrictions are lifted while building on the success of the use of home umpires. The ICC Board approved and ratified a number of appointments to the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee: Mahela Jayawardena – Past Player representative (reappointment) Gary Stead – National Team Coach representative Jay Shah – Member Board representative Joel Wilson – ICC Elite Panel Umpire Jamie Cox – MCC Representative ICC Events The qualification pathway for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 was confirmed with 12 teams qualifying automatically for the event. The top eight teams from the 2022 event will be joined by the two host Members, West Indies and USA plus the next highest ranked teams on the MRF ICC Men’s T20 rankings table as of 14 November 2022. If West Indies finish in the top eight in Australia later this year, three teams will progress based on rankings and if outside the top eight two teams will qualify from the rankings table. The remaining eight spots will be decided through a regional qualification process with Africa, Asia and Europe each qualifying two teams and Americas and EAP one each. The qualification pathway for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 was agreed. Eight teams will gain automatic qualification into the event, comprising the top three teams from each group of the 2023 event plus host (if not in the six) and next highest ranked teams on the MRF ICC Women’s T20 rankings table at a pre-determined date. The remaining two teams will be identified through the Women’s T20 World Cup global qualifier. The qualification pathway for the eight team ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup was also confirmed. The yet to be determined host of the event will automatically qualify along with the next five highest placed teams at the end of the 22-25 ICC Women’s Championship (IWC). The remaining two teams will be identified through a global qualifying event between the four bottom-placed teams in the IWC plus an additional two teams from the ODI rankings. South Africa was confirmed as the host of the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, to be staged in January next year as a 16-team, 41-match event.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that Pakistan’s superstar skipper Babar Azam, and Australia’s run-machine Rachael Haynes have been named the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for March 2022. Azam scoops the Men’s award following a number of thrilling batting displays in Pakistan’s multi-format series against Australia. Amassing 390 runs in the pulsating Test series, his supreme contribution was highlighted by his record-breaking innings of 196 in the second Test, salvaging a draw for his side against the odds on the final day in Karachi. At the forefront of his side’s batting outfit, his exploits during the subsequent ODI battles that took place in March also cemented his claim as the standout player in international cricket during the month. Scores of 57 and 114 – the latter helping his side chase down an imposing 349 set by Australia, saw him as a constant threat to an otherwise formidable bowling attack. Azam received the award ahead of fellow nominees Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies) and Pat Cummins (Australia), and in doing so, becomes the first player to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award on two occasions, after being crowned back in April 2021. Speaking about Babar’s phenomenal performances in March, member of the voting panel and former West Indies international Daren Ganga said, “Babar wins this award not only because of the significant glut of runs scored during the Pakistan v Australia tour, but also because his success with the bat across formats. Being able to fulfil the burden of expectation as a captain and batter for Pakistan as host to an Australian team visiting after 24 years is a monumental achievement.” Rachael Haynes celebrates becoming the ICC Women’s Player of the Month following a formidable set of displays on the road to Australia’s seventh ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy. Scoring 429 priceless runs in eight matches at an average of 61.28, her extraordinary feats at the top of the order proved crucial to her side’s unbeaten run to the final, where they subsequently overcame England to cap a thrilling tournament. Her accomplishments at the crease throughout the month laid the foundations for her team to set imposing totals and chase down big targets, and were made even more impressive by her ability to perform during pivotal times. Her 130 against England in the opening game set the tone for a dominant unbeaten run to the final, while her other standout performance came in the form of a classy 85 during the semi-final win against the West Indies. In securing this month’s award, Rechael Haynes overcame the fellow nominees Sophie Ecclestone (England) and Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa) following their outstanding displays with both bat and ball in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. “Rachael Haynes has displayed tremendous consistency for Australia,” remarked Sana Mir, the former Pakistan international and ICC Player of the Month voting panel member. “She set the tone for the tournament with a big hundred in their first game and her contributions throughout the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup set a platform for the other batters to build on. Haynes is a quality batter and a leader in women’s game.”

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The Team Kalabagh / Shahtaj have won the title of the Islamabad Club Polo Champions Trophy after beating Team Asean by 8-5 in the final here at the Islamabad Club Polo Ground on Sunday. Guy Gibrat emerged as hero of the final as he not only amused the spectators with his superb mallet and horse work but also fired in four fantastic goals in his team's title triumph. The contribution also came from Asfandyar Khan (two goals), Adil Waheed (one goal) and Raja Temur Nadeem (one goal). The losing side also matched fire-with-fire against the winning side, and fought till the last goal but their efforts couldn't bear fruit as they lost the main final by 5-8. For Team Asean, Bauti Fenell converted two goals while one each was scored by Raja Jalal Arslan, Hashim Asad and Haider Asad. Assistant Secretary, Islamabad Club Suhail Shigri was chief guest at the concluding ceremony and distributed prizes among the winners, runners-up and top performers. Foreign player Guy Gibrat, who was named player of the final, told the media that he was glad to be here in Islamabad, which is one of the beautiful cities of the world. "The entire Islamabad is very beautiful but this Islamabad Club is very beautiful and especially it's polo ground is very lucrative and lush green and me and my entire team enjoyed a lot while playing very challenging as well as exciting polo here. We, the team Kalabagh/Shahtaj, played like a unit and our collective efforts and unity helped us win the final. We are hopeful of doing well in next two eight-goal tournaments and try to win the both."

Sports Bulletin Report MEIRINGEN:-The first medals of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) season were awarded in Meiringen, Switzerland, this evening, with Olympic gold medallist Janja Garnbret, of Slovenia, claiming an emotional win in the women’s final of the IFSC Boulder World Cup Meiringen 2022. After flashing three out of four boulders, Slovenian Janja Garnbret bowed to the cheering crowd of the Kletterhalle Haslital, before embracing her fellow finalists. The 23-year-old achieved four tops in five attempts in the season-opener, and perhaps would have flashed all four had it not been for a false-start on the first bloc – of which she was the only athlete to secure a top, clinging to the dual-textured holds which defeated her competitors. Cruising through a burly final boulder, the Olympian earned an impressive 32nd gold World Cup medal of her career to date. “Today’s win was a privilege. It means a lot to me because it’s not obvious that you will win every competition – each competition is a story in itself. Just because you won everything last year doesn’t mean that you can next year, so every win means a lot to me. That’s why I was so emotional!” said Garnbret. “I’ve decided to skip the [rest of the] Boulder season this year. The Olympics last year were a pretty hard take on physical and mental preparation, so I feel that I need a little time off from comps and this year is the perfect year to do that. I already have [the Olympic Games in] Paris in mind!” she added. Having taken the 2021 World Cup season by storm with a remarkable eight podiums, reigning Boulder World Champion Natalia Grossman, of the USA, took the silver medal in Meiringen this evening. Hot on Garnbret’s heels, the 20-year-old American completed the competition with three tops and four zones, proving her prowess by flashing the final two boulder problems with a grin from ear to ear. Much to the delight of her home crowd, Switzerland’s Andrea Kümin climbed onto the podium in third position, beaming after bagging the first World Cup medal of her career. The 24-year-old concluded the opening competition of the season with one top and two zones. France’s Oriane Bertone – who claimed silver at the IFSC Boulder World Cup Meiringen 2021 – Japan’s Ito Futaba, and Serbia’s Stasa Gejo finished the women’s final in fourth, fifth, and sixth place, respectively. The evening also saw medals awarded to the top-ranked female athletes of the 2021 IFSC Boulder season. Natalia Grossman took the top ranking and thus, first place on the podium with 345 points, followed by Janja Garnbret with 280 points, and Oriane Bertone with 235 points. The full 2021 women’s Boulder World Cup ranking can be viewed here.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-India and Netherlands played out another close game of hockey under a scorching sun in Bhubaneswar, with 60 minutes proving inadequate to separate the two sides, requiring a shoot-out; where the young Dutch eves finally got the better of their experienced Indian counterparts. The match started off with a complete turnaround of fortunes for India, who had to endure a lot of pressure on their goal in the first quarter last evening. It took them a total of 34 seconds to get their first goal today, as their attack from the starting whistle led to a penalty corner that was deflected by a Dutch defender and then turned in by Rajwinder in front of the goal. It was a perfect start for India, and not what Netherlands were looking for after a close loss in the previous game. India, confident from the goal, took control of the game and their high press turned the ball over, often in the Dutch half. Netherlands finally found their feet in the game at around the 12-minute mark and they forced the Indian team to retreat into their own half as the first quarter came to a close. Second quarter again saw momentum swing India’s way to begin with, as they won the mid-field battle, cutting off the passing lanes that Netherlands like to use to build their attacks, but with the conditions taking their toll, Netherlands finally started getting the better of India to close the first half and forced Savita into three saves in the final 2 minutes, but she was up to the challenge and India took the 1 goal lead into the half. The half time break was exactly the momentum breaker India needed and they started the second half on the front foot. Jyoti and Monika both were recipients of chances after some great work by the Indian mid field and attack to set up scoring opportunities coming from their left wing. But while Jyoti’s effort was saved well by Remmerswaal, Monika couldn’t get the connection she wanted on a bouncing ball, and Netherlands survived the early pressure. For Netherlands, it felt like a repeat of last evening as they piled up a whole host of circle entries, but each time it amounted to very little, as the Indian defence made sure it didn’t leave any passing lanes open for the Dutch strikers to make the final pass that would open up opportunities to score. The 4th quarter however saw the match swing again as Netherlands, desperate for an equalizer, started instituting a high press of their own. They finally managed to hassle and harry the Indian defence into conceding possession in their own half, and it led to a slew of penalty corners for the Dutch, as the Indian defence started showing signs of fatigue. Savita though kept the Indian lead intact with save after save from the penalty corners, but the Dutch were unrelenting. They finally got a goal back through captain Yibbi Jansen in the 54th minute, who finally got a lot of power behind one of her flicks and Savita couldn’t react in time to stop the ball sailing over her right shoulder. India had an instant opportunity to strike back though as they won a penalty corner of their own from the restart, and Gurjit, who had also been having trouble getting power behind her drag flicks, finally got one flying towards the Dutch goal, but the shot that looked destined to restore India’s lead, hit the post and Netherlands breathed a sigh of relief. The regular time expired without either team creating a big opportunity and the teams headed for a shoot-out. Netherlands went first and scored through Jansen who calmly slotted a second shot in after Savita had saved the first one. Jyoti and Neha missed the first two shoot-out attempts for India, while Fortuin scored the 2nd attempt as well for Netherlands, leaving India with a mountain to climb. Savita tried her best, saving Morgenstern’s shoot-out attempt and Navneet followed it up with a calmly taken goal of her own. But Barentsen scored the 4th attempt for Netherlands and another great save by Remmerswaal from Rajwinder’s attempt sealed India’s fate as Netherlands took the extra point from the contest. Marente Barentsen won the player of the match and spoke of the learnings the young Dutch team took from the two matches saying: “It was a tough loss yesterday, but we had created chances and it was the same today. So happy that as a young team we could improve and get a better result today.” Indian captain Savita wasn’t too disappointed with the result, saying: “Shoot-outs are a bit of a coin toss, and Netherlands were very clinical in their attempts today. Overall, the draw in regular time felt about right, because while we started well Netherlands were really attacking in the end so the draw was a fair result.”

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Austria and Ireland leave it late to score winners, while Uruguay end Canada’s Junior World Cup journey. An energetic second half from Uruguay ended Canada’s Junior World Cup journey, while Austria and Ireland continued to enjoy beginners’ luck as the two debutant nations will now compete for a ninth place finish. The European team’s defeats of Korea and Malaysia respectively means the two Asian sides will be battling for eleventh place. Uruguay beat Canada 4-1 (13-15th place): After a first 30 minutes that saw these two Pan Am nations testing each other out, the match burst into life when Uruguay took a grasp of the match in the opening minutes of the second half. Pilar Oliveros opened the South American team’s account with a well-struck penalty corner and that body blow to the Canadian team was repeated three minutes later when Elisa Civetta scored the first of two goals. It was Civetta again in the 46th minute, when Uruguay won a penalty stroke. The in-form midfielder stepped up and struck the ball home sweetly. The game was put totally out of Canada’s reach in the final five minutes of the match as Manuela Vidal was able to latch onto a good pass and fire it home past Ishaval Sekhon to make it 4-0. Canada scored a consolation goal in the final minute of the game when Jenna Berger was able to find the back of the net after some good build-up play. Austria beat Zimbabwe 1-0 (9-12th place matches): The opening quarter was very much Austria’s in terms of possession as the European team seemed to have a better structure and focus in this match to decide who would play for 13-14th place. However, when it came to converting those chances, Austria just couldn’t find their way past Jenna Mathieson in the Zimbabwe goal. The closest opportunity fell to Nathalie Matousek, whose good work was spoilt when she flicked the ball straight at the keeper. With seconds left, Johanna Czech sent a penalty corner shot just past the goalpost. In the second quarter, the game evened out as Zimbabwe began to find their place on the pitch. Alexi Terreblanche was proving a stabilising force in midfield and some good running attacks were mounted on the back of her performance. Unfortunately for the African team, the forwards were not able to find a way into their opponent’s circle. During the half-time team talks, both Head Coaches asked their players to reduce the amount of turnovers and to be more efficient in the circle. Certainly Zimbabwe started in sparkling fashion. Within seconds they had broken through the Austrian defence and had their first meaningful shot. There was no score but it certainly signalled a higher level of intent. As the game continued with no goals being scored, frustration began to creep into both team’s performance. Austria’s Fiona Felber went on a  mazy run that earns her team a penalty corner, but once again Mathieson was able to watch the ball fly wide. The deadlock was finally broken in the 54th minute when Katharina Bauer pounced on a ball that had bobbled off a Zimbabwe stick. She took the ball wide on her reverse, which gave her space to fire home and give her side an all important goal. Once they had the goal, Austria showed their ability to manage a game well as they kept Zimbabwe’s desperate measures to equalise at bay. Ireland beat Malaysia 2-1 (9-12th place): This match started at a quick pace, with both sides showing full intent. Malaysia won an early penalty corner but Ireland’s swift count attack saw Christina Hamill race the length of the pitch before being dispossessed in the Malaysian circle. Ireland then won their own series of penalty corner opportunities, but like their Asian opponents, the players in green were unable to convert. That changed in the 13th minute when yet another speedy Irish counter attack saw Yasmin Pratt race into the Malaysia circle and slip the ball to Rachel Kelly who was on hand to strike the ball home to give Ireland a 1-0 lead. In the second quarter Ireland continued to press forward but found the Malaysian defence, led by Abang Dayang, was resolute in the face of the pressure. A great bit of improvised goalkeeping by Malaysia’s Mashitah Ab just pushed the ball out of Siofra O’Brien’s reach after the ‘keeper had missed the initial save. The desperate action was crucial in preventing Ireland extending their lead. A tricky, speedy run by Ireland’s Yasmin Pratt created yet another opportunity for Ireland but, if truth be told, for all the running between the circles, the decision-making and finishing of both sides left a lot to be desired and was the reason the score remained at just 1-0 in favour of the Irish at half time. Both teams came out for the second half knowing that 30 minutes stood between them and a ninth place finish. Ireland had the advantage of a 1-0 lead but knew Malaysia were always capable of turning this around. A spate of injuries to Malaysia seemed to galvanise the Asian team as they used guile and unconventional passing to create unease in the Irish defence. A searching run by Siti Husain led to a Malaysian penalty corner. The variation on the penalty corner was excellent but Ellie Mcloughlin in the Irish goal read the situation and cleared well. Malaysia continued to remind Ireland that they held a very slender lead as they put pressure on with a series of incursions into the Irish circle. And that truth came home in the first moments of the fourth quarter when Nuramirah Zulkifli received the ball in space and slammed it home to bring her team right back into the match. With six minutes left in the match, both teams raised the tempo, although at times the quality fell as a result. Turnovers and poor decisions meant that play bounced from end to end but with no result. Ireland in particular will be dismayed at the fact they had 40 circle penetrations in the match with only two goals. The game ended in high drama when a clever variation on a penalty corner in the dying seconds of the game gave the Junior Green Army the goal they needed to see them through to the 9-10th place encounter with fellow debutants Austria.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The Team BN Polo have won the subsidiary final of the Islamabad Club Champions Trophy 2022 after threshing EFU-PAF by 9-4 here at the Islamabad Club Polo Ground on Saturday. Baber Naseem stole the show today by playing extremely well and contributing with fabulous four goals. He was ably supported by his teammates, who also played key role in their team's triumph. Eulogio and Ahmed Ali Tiwana also played well and banged in a brilliant brace each while Haider Naseem converted a lone goal for the winning side. The losing side - EFU-PAF - though tried hard to compete well against Team BN Polo but their efforts couldn't bear fruit as they lost the subsidiary final by 4-9. Hazma Mawaz Khan did play some attacking polo and thrashed in two goals while Syed Aun Muhammad Rizvi and Yousaf Rasool struck one goal apiece but their efforts proved futile in the end. On Sunday, the main final will be played between Team Asean and Kalabagh/Shahtaj at 4:00 pm here at Islamabad Club Polo Ground and it is expected that the highly-entertaining encounter will be enjoyed by a good number of polo lovers. Team Asean, one of the finalists, comprises of Hashim Asad, Haider Asad, Raja Jalal Arslan and Bauti Fenell while Kalabagh/Shahtaj, the other finalist team, includes Sheikh Adil Waheed, Asfandyar Khan, Raja Temur Nadeem and Guy Gibrat.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Potchefstroom (South Africa):-Quarter-finals day produced four top class matches with some tremendous skills on display but the performance of the day was that of the German team as they put on a classy show to outgun reigning champions Argentina. India put in a dominating and professional performance to defeat Asian rivals Korea. India beat Korea 3-0 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) Efficiency in attack and speed of play and thought were the differences between these two teams as India showed immense composure and clinical finishing to secure their place in Monday’s semi-finals. Mumtaz Khan and Lalrindiki both found the back of the net in the first quarter. Khan’s goal was a fantastically worked penalty corner variation, which she deflected home past Kim Eunji in the Malaysia goal. Lalrindiki was the beneficiary after a shot from Deepika rebounded to her and she was perfectly placed to slot the ball home. At the other end of the pitch, the India defence was equally impressive, a brave, stretching tackle by Lalremsiami summed up the Eve’s commitment levels. For their part, Korea had no lack of ambition as they sought a way past the India defence, it was just that India looked a level ahead in every aspect of play. For much of the next two quarters, Korea tightened their defence and India were unable to capitalise on their opening goals. However, with five minutes left of the third quarter, we were offered a glimpse of the skill within the India team. An aerial into the circle found Beauty Dung, who actually miss-hit the ball but in doing so sent a perfect pass to Sangita, who had no hesitation in firing home. As the final quarter counted down, India were pouring on the pressure but it will be of concern to Head Coach Erik Wonink that no further goals were added despite a barrage of opportunities. Korea’s answer was to try to run the ball at the India defence, but they were always met by a solid India defence. Netherlands beat South Africa 5-0 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) The scoreline suggests a dominant performance but South Africa posed a challenge to the Netherlands throughout this quarter-final, with only their finishing in front of goal preventing a closer result. The Netherlands settled into business as usual when Jip Dicke added to her already impressive goal tally with a goal in the fourth minute. The goal was the result of a typical Dutch counter attack, with Dicke the final component in a sweeping movement between the players. However, they would have been taken aback by some of the brave and speedy running from the Africa players, as they were roared on by the unashamedly partisan crowd. Both Bianca Wood and Onthatile Zulu caused a buzz in the stadium as they weaved crazy paths through the Dutch defence. Both players were clearly disappointed that the final shots didn’t end in the back of the net. Dicke gave her team a cushion in the 15th minute when she pounced on a loose ball after a good initial save by Mishka Ellis from a Noor Omrani shot. Dicke pulled the ball out of the air to guide it home. This was Dicke’s twelfth goal of the games, keeping her firmly in the top scorers position. At the end of the first half, South Africa’s shots on goal tally was six, to Netherlands’ eight – the difference, as Head Coach Lenise Marais pointed out, was the finishing. At the start of the second half, South Africa had yet another chance to rattle the Dutch as they won their third penalty corner. This time, Hari Louw saw her rasping shot fly just wide of Sophia Ter Kuile’s post. Chances fell to both teams throughout the third quarter, with Dicke coming close to adding to her tally and Zulu’s devastating running creating a handful of scoring opportunities for South Africa. Things really heated up when an incredible double save by Sophia ter Kuile, first from the penalty corner shot and then from Chante Ferreira’s follow-up, continued to frustrate South Africa. The failure to convert was punished in the 43rd minute when Noor Omrani crashed a shot past Ellis to make it 3-0. Luna Fokke scored her first of the game in the final minute of the quarter when she sent home a fierce penalty corner. The fourth quarter saw Netherlands start to contain the free-running threat of the South Africa team. As energy levels sapped, the Dutchbegan to manage the game well, as they passed the ball round and challenged the South Africans to chase the ball. Omrani nearly scored another wonder goal as her creative lifted shot just went over the crossbar. The coup de grace was issued by Luna Fokke who hit the ball from a penalty corner straight down the pitch at a lightening speed to beat Ellis and rattle the back board. England beat USA 2-1 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) USA got off to a fabulous start when they took the lead through Ashley Sessa in the third minute. The energy from the team was palpable as they took the game to their opponents in the opening exchanges and the penalty corner that resulted in a goal was slick and well-rehearsed. It was Sessa who came closest to increasing the scoreline. She showed enormous skill to create space to enable a lifted shot at goal - England goalkeeper Mila Welch could only watch and hope as the ball just scraped over the crossbar. The second quarter saw England come back strongly with Maddy Axford at the heart of the England attack. Two consecutive penalty corners for England out pressure on the USA defence and then on the third attempt, England captain Millie Giglio washable to create the space to whip home a reverse stick shot that went straight through the pads of USA goalkeeper Welch. The score remained at 1-1 to the half-time whistle but it was far from a  dull game. Both teams played with real energy and commitment, probably best personified by a full length diving interception from USA captain Kayla Blas just as Vicki McCabe was lining up to shoot. As the second half progressed, England began to gain a hold on the game. They were spending more time in the USA defensive quarter but each attempt to get into the circle was met by a resolute USA defence. With six minutes of the third quarter left, the game opened up and both sides found themselves with opportunities. First the Abigail Tamer of USA sped up the field to win a penalty corner but the shot went just wide. Seconds later and Giglio was in a superb position to give her team the lead but she took too long with her shot and it was smothered by the USA goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz. Giglio and Skubisz continued to have their own personal battle, with the ‘keeper blocking the England skipper’s progress twice more in the dying stages of the third quarter. The breakthrough, when it came in the 44th minute, was the result of some great running by Vicki McCabe. The forward won a free hit and ran at full pace into the USA circle. Her cross landed perfectly for Maddie Axford to nudge home. As the teams emerged for the final 15 minutes, there was a real sense that this game was still anyone’s for the taking. USA had the chance to equalise in the 56th minute but England’s goalkeeper Evie Wood made a magnificent stop with an outstretched foot. With two minutes left, USA removed their keeper in an attempt to pressure England with an additional field player. The pressure on England mounted and Sessa drew another good save from Wood. With just seconds left, USA won one last penalty corner. 11 USA athletes lined up around the top of the circle but Wood was the hero as she cleared the shot defiantly out of the circle to send her team through to the semi-finals. Germany beat Argentina 4-1 (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) It was action all the way as Argentina and Germany played out a tense and entertaining match that twisted and turned to the final whistle. Germany took the lead in the 11th minute after a series of penalty corners, and an Argentina defence that had been reduced to three on the line. Pauline Heinz was the scorer, lifting a rebound over Lourdes Perez in the Argentina goal. Argentina then won a penalty stroke, but Mali Wichmann in the German goal was equal to the challenge and made a fine save. Just three minutes into the second quarter, Argentina were stunned when Carlotta Sippel doubled Germany’s lead after Heinz sent a cross into the circle and Sippel deflected it home. Argentina kept pushing and Valentina Raposa’s fierce shot was saved by Wichmann, who was playing a huge role in maintaining her side’s lead. That lead was extended when Lilly Stoffelsma scored another penalty corner, rifling her shot straight down the circle past Perez. Despite being 3-0 down, Argentina looked far from beaten. Wichmann was brought into action time and again but even she couldn’t stop the clever deflection from penalty corner injector Maria Cerundolo after Valentina Raposo hit the initial shot with pinpoint accuracy back to Cerundolo as she ran to the goal. Germany reclaimed the three goal cushion when Aina Kresken scored a fantastic goal to give her side a 4-1 lead. The ball was played straight down the pitch and Kresken received, turned and fired home. As the third quarter progressed, there was a definite change in atmosphere. While the German players were looking confident and composed, Argentina were beginning to look like a team who had lost their self belief. The team in blue and white continued to run at the German defence but they lacked team cohesion, with individuals trying to run through. This meant the German defenders could pick the individual players off easily. With fifteen minutes left, this was now all down to whether Germany could continue to withstand the Argentina pressure. As the quarter progressed, the tempo of the German team dropped slightly but still Argentina could find no way through. A rasping penalty corner in the 54th minute from Maria Adorno was saved by Wichmann and then, seconds later, the tall goalkeeper was down low, preventing the ball creeping in at the far post. Argentina removed their goalkeeper with five minutes left and pushed forwards but Germany were giving a masterclass in defending and game management and there was no way through for the reigning champions.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The subsidiary final of the Islamabad Club Champions Trophy 2022 will take place between EFU-PAF and BN Polo on Saturday (April 9, 2022) at 5:00 pm here at Islamabad Club Polo Ground. While the main final of the event will be contested between Team Asean and Kalabagh/Shahtaj on Sunday at 4:30 pm. Total six teams have been featuring in this eight-goal tournament and after tough competitions, the subsidiary and main finalists succeeded earning their due places. Both the subsidiary and main finals are expected to be enthralling and exciting ones, which will be witnessed and enjoyed by a huge crowd of polo lovers. Team EFU-PAF, one of the subsidiary finalists, includes Sqn Ldr Hamza Iqbal, Syed Aun Muhammad Rizvi, AM Amir Masood and Hamza Mawaz Khan while the other subsidiary finalist side, BN Polo, consists of Baber Naseem, Haider Naseem, Ahmed Ali Tiwana and Eulogio.