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Wasim Akram praises ILT20 for development of UAE cricketers
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 Open: Mohammad Ashab; Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman post victories
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)
Sameer Minhas smashes record ton as Pakistan U19 clinch tri-series title
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)
BILLARD & SNOOKER - National 06 Jan, 2026
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).
Mahin Aftab wins women Singles Title of Kulsum Saifullah Tournament
Islamabad (faisal):Mahin Aftab has won the women Singles Title of the 11th Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Championships 2025 continued at PTF Tennis Complex, Islamabad. In the ladies’ singles final, Mahin Aftab Qureshi defeated Soha Ali 6-1, 6-1 to win the championship.In the men’s doubles final, Ahmad Nael Qureshi / Abubakar Talha beat Barkatullah / Yousaf Khalil 6-3, 6-4 to clinch the doubles title.The men’s singles final will be played tomorrow between Aqeel Khan and Muzammil Murtaza at 1:30 pm.Results: Mens Singles Semifinal: Aqeel Khan bt Mohammad Shoaib6-4,6-0; Muzammil Murtaza bt Yousaf Khalil 6-1,7-6(9)Mens Doubles Final: Ahmad Nael Qureshi / Abubakar Talha bt Barkatullah / Yousaf Khalil 6-3,6-4Ladies Singles Final: Mahin Aftab Qureshi bt Soha Ali 6-1,6-1Boys 18&under Singles Semifinal: Abubakar Talha bt Ahtesham Humayun 7-6(5), 1-0(retd); Hamza Roman bt Hassan Usmani 6-4,7-5Girls 14&under Singles Final: Aimen Rehan bt Khadija Khalil 6-7(6),6-0,6-2Boys 14&under Singles Semifinal: Mohammad Junaid bt Ohad Mustafa 6-4,4-6,6-1; Mohammad Muaz bt Ibraheem Gill 6-0,6-3Boys 12&under Semifinal: Mohammad Aayan bt Behroze Maimoon 4-2,4-0; Mohammad Daniyal bt Majid Ali 4-0,4-2
T20I Series: Pakistan set to meet Sri Lanka in opener fixture
Dambulla (Sports News): Pakistan men’s team will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series in Dambulla, with matches scheduled on 7, 9 and 11 January, as preparations intensify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March. The first ball of the match will be bowled at 7pm local time.The series will help the national selection committee to finalise Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the mega event. Pakistan will play all their World Cup fixtures in Sri Lanka, making the forthcoming bilateral series a vital opportunity to adapt to local conditions and fine-tune combinations.Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the T20I side, who saw his side winning two tri-series tournaments and bilateral T20I series against Bangladesh, West Indies and South Africa in 2025. The series also offers players a chance to stake their claim for World Cup selection through impactful performances against a competitive Sri Lankan outfit.In the recent times, Pakistan have won three of the last five T20Is against Sri Lanka, which include win in the knockout match of the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai and tri-series final in Rawalpindi. Salman Ali Agha in the pre-series press conference said:“The series provides a great opportunity for everyone to perform. Playing here ahead of the World Cup is a significant advantage for us, and we will look to acclimatise to the conditions as quickly as possible.“We have good players in our squad who are future prospects. We want to give them opportunities, and I am hopeful they will deliver strong performances in the series.15-member squad:Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq
BILLARD & SNOOKER - National 05 Jan, 2026
Karachi (Sports News); The 3rd U17 Snooker Championship commenced today , 11 players are participated from all over the country.Players have been divided into 3 groups, in each group 2 players will be qualified for knock out rounds, from the 6 players of the knock out round, 2 best players will be directly qualified for semifinal. Today’s 11 matches results are given below, remaining 4 matches of round league will be played tomorrow, and also played quarter final matches at 2 pm.Result (Day-1):Ayan Ali (Sindh) bt Mohammad Saad (Bal) 3-1(50-26, 36-60, 54-27, 59-56)Farhan Ali (Pjb) bt Subhan Akbar (Sindh) 3-0(75-39, 64-15, 82-01)Daniyal Shahzad (Isb) bt Bilal Ahmed (Kpk) 3-0(70-03, 57-19, 62-20)Musa Tanveer (Pjb) bt Saif Uddin (Kpk) 3-1(32-33, 59-10, 62-9, 51-27)Rehan Ali (Sindh) bt M Muaaz (Bal) 3-1(75-14, 54-26, 30-69, 71-06)Mohammad Kashan (Pjb) bt Mohammad Saad (Bal) 3-0(93-22(40), 56-21, 74-8)Farhan Ali (Pjb) bt Bilal Ahmed (Kpk) 3-0(64-16, 63-24, 80-24)Daniyal Shahzad (Isb) bt Subhan Akbar (Sindh) 3-0(57-16, 78-21, 54-21)Rehan Ali (Sindh) bt Saif Uddin (Kpk) 3-0(41-31, 58-35, 58-29)Musa Tanveer (Pjb) bt Mohammad Muaaz (Bal) 3-0(46-6, 62-26, 57-19)Mohammad Kashan (Pjb) bt Ayan Ali (Sindh) 3-1(68-08, 73-55, 20-52, 58-56).
MARTIAL ARTS - Local News 05 Jan, 2026
KARACHI (Sports News): Zulfiqar Ali and Saad Ullah Khan have been elected as President and Secretary General, respectively, of the Sindh Mixed Martial Arts Association (SMMA) for the term 2026–2029.The elections were held during the Elective General Council Meeting on Saturday at Dewa Complex, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, under the chairmanship of the President, Zulfiqar Ali.The electoral process was conducted transparently in the presence of official observers from key sports governing bodies, including Maraj Mohammad Khan (Pakistan Mixed Martial Arts Federation – PMMAF), Mohammad Asghar Baloch (Sindh Olympic Association – SOA), and Mr. Ismail Shah and Fareed Ali (Sindh Sports Board – SSB). Representatives from all affiliated divisions of the association actively participated in the proceedings.During the meeting, the General Council also unanimously approved the SMMA Activity Calendar for 2026–2027, along with other important agenda items aimed at strengthening the sport’s structure and outreach across Sindh.Office Bearers of SMMA (2026–2029)Patrons:Brig (R) Jahangir AhmedTariq AliChairman: Iqbal QureshiVice Chairman: Syed Rehan HashmiPresident: Zulfiqar AliSenior Vice President: Noor Ullah KhanVice Presidents: Rashid Qureshi, Ayesha Tasneef, Zubair Khan, Raza Ullah KhanGeneral Secretary: Saad Ullah KhanAssociate Secretaries: Kainat Arif, Wazir SheikhTreasurer: Ahmed AliDirector Media: Naseem RajputDirector Public Relations: Sajid HasanDirector Technical: Dilawer Khan SannanExecutive Members: Faima Irfan, Amna Ali, Atif Ali, Ali SherCommitteesAthlete Commission Chairman: ShahzaibAnti-Doping Committee Chairman: Dr. Ucksy MallickMedical Committee Chairman: Dr. Abid KhanTechnical Committee Chairman: Dilawer Khan SannanWomen Committee Chairman: Maria KhanMedia Committee Chairman: Naseem RajputEthics Commission Chairman: Mohammad AliCoaches Committee: Imran Qasim
Mohammad Shoaib; Aqeel; Muzammil; Yousaf qualify for top-four stage
Islamabad: Mohammad Shoaib; Aqeel Khan; Muzammil Murtaza; and Yousaf Khalil advanced to mens singles semifinals of the stage11th Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Championships 2025 continued at PTF Tennis Complex, Islamabad.Results: Men's Singles (Quarterfinals): Yousaf Khalil bt Barkatullah 6-0,7-6(5); Mohammad Shoaib bt Ahmad Nael Qureshi 6-3,6-2; Muzammil Murtaza bt Abubakar Talha 6-4,5-7,6-4; Aqeel Khan bt Nadir Mirza 6-4,6-4Ladies Singles (Semifinal): Mahin Aftab Qureshi bt Amna Ali Qayum 6-2,6-3; Soha Ali bt Sheeza Sajid 7-5,6-2 Boys 18&under (Quarterfinals): Ahtesham Hunmayun bt Zohaib Afzal Malik 7-6(1), 6-3; Hamza Roman bt Mohammad Yahya 6-1,6-0; Hassan Usmani bt Mohammad Haziq Aasim 6-4,5-7,6-3;Abubakar Talha bt Abdul Basit 6-3,6-0;Boys 14&under (Quarterfinals): Mohammad Junaid bt Meer Abbas 4-0,2-4,4-1; Ohade Mustafa bt Mohammad Aayan 1-4,5-3,4-0;Mohammad Ibraheem Gill bt Mohammad Faizan 4-1,4-2; Mohammad Muaz bt Zayd Zaman 4-1,4-0Girls 14&under (Semifinals): Khadija Khalil bt Anaya Khan 4-2,4-0; Aimen Rehan bt Eman Shahbaz 4-1,4-0Boys 12&under (Quarterfinals): Mohammad Aayan bt Mohammad Faizan 0-4,4-1,4-2; Behroze Maimoon bt Ashter Alam 4-0,5-4(8); Majid Ali bt Umer Zaman 4-0,4-1; Mohammad Danyal bt Mohammad Ibraheem Gill 4-2,4-2
TENPIN BOWLING - Int News 05 Jan, 2026
Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The Sports and Culture Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, Cheng Peng, has said that the Pak-China Friendship Tenpin Bowling Championship will further strengthen relations between the two countries. He expressed these views during his visit to the venue of the Pak-China Friendship Tenpin Bowling Championship, Leisure City Bowling Club, Safa Gold F-7 Mazkar, Islamabad.Other officials of the Chinese Embassy, Zhang and President of the Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation, Ijaz-ur-Rehman, were also present on the occasion.President, Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation, Ijaz-ur-Rehman, while briefing the Sports and Culture Attaché of the Chinese Embassy, Cheng Peng, regarding the arrangements for the Pak-China Friendship Tenpin Bowling Championship.He said that the preparations for the championship have already been started.The Pak-China Friendship Tenpin Bowling Championship and the 18th National Tenpin Bowling Championship will be held from January 24 to 30. Bowlers from all over the country will participate in the Championship. The colorful events of the championship will be the part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Pak-China friendship. Singers, musicians and actors will perform and show their talents and performance in this event. Ijaz-ur-Rehman said that the aim of the meeting is to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote bowling in both countries.At the end of the visit, the Sports and Culture Attaché of the Chinese Embassy, Cheng Peng, thanked the President, Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation, Ijaz-ur-Rehman, for planning for the Pak-China Friendship Tenpin Bowling Championship and assured his full cooperation.
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