Lausanne (Switzerland): Hockey at Paris 2024 came to a conclusion on 9 August, with a historic double gold for Netherlands, as the men's and women’s teams of a nation won the hockey gold in the same edition of an Olympics for the very first time! Germany men and China women added a silver medal to their trophy cabinets, while India men and Argentina women made it back-to-back medal finishes, claiming the bronze medals in Paris.The competition for medals was wide open, and there were plenty of surprises and upsets as the jostling for medal finishes shook up the world rankings. Join us as we take a look at the updated rankings, following the conclusion of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.In the men’s world rankings, Olympic champions Netherlands (3168) stand at the top of the rankings. Netherlands came into the games in the top spot, but dropped to third in the pool stage following a draw against Great Britain and a loss to Germany, but four consecutive wins to finish with the title, sees them climb back into the first place.Germany (3035) once again showed their big tournament prowess, as they came into the event ranked fifth in the world, but registered big wins over the likes of Netherlands, Great Britain, Argentina and India to climb into second place in the world rankings, on the way to the silver medal.England* (2973), Belgium (2959) and India (2849) complete the top-5 places. Belgium in particular will be disappointed with their quarter final exit, coming in as defending champions. The Red Lions had a near perfect pool stage with 4 wins and a draw that had catapulted them to the top of the world rankings, but a loss to Spain in the quarterfinal saw them drop down to fourth. Germany’s ascent also sees England drop down one spot from their pre-Olympics ranking of second place, to third, while India have climbed one spot up bridging the gap to the top-4, following a second consecutive bronze medal finish at the Olympics.Australia (2714), Argentina (2643) and Spain (2470) find themselves in the sixth, seventh and eighth positions respectively. Australia began the Olympics ranked fourth in the world, and climbed into the top-3 after the first win over Argentina, but a disappointing campaign where they endured losses to Belgium, India and got knocked out by Netherlands in the quarterfinals, sees them drop down to sixth, less than 100 points clear of Argentina in seventh. Spain fell just short of the bronze medal and while their ranking remains unchanged, the gap to seventh place is less than half of what it was before Paris 2024.Ireland (2078), France (2016), South Africa (1982) and New Zealand (1958) take up the ninth to twelfth spots in the world rankings with all four teams competing at the Olympics, but failing to make the quarterfinals. Ireland’s victory over New Zealand in their final pool stage game, lifted them two spots into ninth place at the expense of France who ended their pool stage of the games with just one point following a draw against Spain. South Africa moved up one place thanks to their draw against Great Britain and win over France, while New Zealand’s failure to collect any points at the Olympics sees them drop two spots down from tenth.In the women’s world rankings, Netherlands (3641) remain infallible, adding a fourth Olympic gold medal from the last five editions of the Games! While China gave them a big scare in the gold medal match, Netherlands prevailed in the end, completing a perfect campaign with 8 wins in 8 matches.Argentina (3059) continue to remain in a distant second place, following their bronze medal performance at Paris 2024. Belgium (2852) climbed one place to third in the world after narrowly missing out on their first ever Olympic medal, with back-to-back shoot-out losses to China in the semi-final, and Argentina in the bronze medal match, but it was still an impressive campaign from the Red Panthers in just their second ever Olympic appearance!Germany (2739) exited in the quarterfinals at Paris 2024, a result which saw them drop down one spot, into fourth. Australia (2720) continue to remain in fifth place and similar to Germany, would be disappointed in their quarterfinal exit, following a stellar pool phase where they finished top of their pool with 4 wins and a draw.China’s (2567) incredible run in Paris 2024, which saw them come within a whisker of claiming the gold medal, has resulted in a two-place climb in the world rankings table as they now sit in the sixth spot, ahead of England* (2419) and Spain (2322) in seventh and eighth respectively.India (2087) and New Zealand (2024), who missed out on Olympic qualification, round out the top-10 world rankings.Among the teams that competed at the Olympics outside of top-10, are Japan (2010) in eleventh place, narrowly trailing New Zealand. United States (1898) were extremely competitive throughout the pool stage of the Olympics and registered points through a draw against Spain and a win over South Africa, and find themselves in thirteenth place in the world rankings.South Africa (1403) and France (1371) both ended Paris 2024 without scoring any points and are placed twentieth and twenty second in the world respectively. Both teams have plenty of positives to take away from the Olympics though, with this being the first appearance for France at an Olympics, while South Africa, given their very young squad, were competitive, not losing by more than one goal in any of their matches except one, which came in the form of a 4-2 loss to Argentina, where South Africa were leading 2-1 until the final ten minutes. (PR)

Club appoints Nawaz Rana as a captain of team for World Cup AucklandAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan born, International Player, Nawaz Rana has been nominated as captain of Alliance International Hockey team men45+ to represent in upcoming Masters Hockey World Cup, which will be held from November 7 to 16, 2024 at National Hockey Centre Auckland, New Zealand.According to available information from abroad, besides hosts New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, Germany, Malaysia, Holland, Oman, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United States of America (USA), England, and Wales will be participating in the 10-day international hockey showpiece.International hockey player Nawaz Rana said: “I have been selected successively thrice for the international hockey world Cup fixture, as a player with Alliance International Hockey Team. Previously I earned the silver medal in the Master Hockey World Cup 2022 in South Africa. This time, we built a strong team and the best players are part of our squad. We are expecting, our players will produce sparking and notable performance in the Masters Hockey World Cup 2024 and will lift the title.”Names of selected players (45+): Kosoof David William, Wilson Nigel John, Roberts Mark Ian, Aminder Pal Singh, Chetan Rangilads, Gurpreet Singh Khndola, David Gailey, Daniel John Hollyman, Dalpit Singh Gill, Navtej Singh, Kamal Deep Singh Brewal, Raman Deep Singh Bara, Amar Preet Singh, Manjinder Pal Singh, Jagdish Singh, Pamandeep Singh Rai, Shanavas Naduvath ValappilTeam Officials: Sohail Akram Janjua (Manager), Shahbaz Ahmed Junior (Coach), Nawaz Rana (Assistant Coach) DR. Amer Farooq (Physio).

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Shaheens cricket team will take on Bangladesh ‘A’ in the first four-day match here at the Islamabad Club on Tuesday, as the match will be held from August 13 to 16, 2024. Saud Shakil will lead the host side. The second four-day match will be played at the same venue from August 20 to 23.Both Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh ‘A’ have packed their sides with players who will feature in the ICC World Test Championship fixtures, to be played in Rawalpindi and Karachi on 21-25 August and 30 August-3 September, respectively. This is due to the fact that both Pakistan and Bangladesh have not played a Test since January and March, respectively. Pakistan’s last Test was against Australia in Sydney, while Bangladesh previous appearance in the current ICC World Test Championship cycle was against Sri Lanka at home in March.Test probables in the Pakistan Shaheens are Saud Shakeel (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Sarfaraz Ahmed, while Hasan Mahmud, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nayeem Hasan and Zakir Hasan are the Bangladesh ‘A’ players who will join the Test side following the four-day match.Saud Shakeel, who was recently named Pakistan Test vice-captain and has previously led Shaheens red-ball side against Sri Lanka ‘A’ in October-November 2021, will captain the home side in the first four-day match. Anamul Haque, who has represented Bangladesh in 74 international matches to date, will captain Bangladesh ‘A’.Pakistan Shaheens captain Saud Shakeel said: “It is an honour for me to lead the Pakistan Shaheens team. I have led this team on a few occasions in the past. I always enjoy my captaincy as I get involved in the game more than usual. This four-day series is crucial as some of the players have not played red-ball cricket recently. So, the match starting on Tuesday will serve as an important opportunity for the Test probables to gear up and be fully prepared and ready for the upcoming challenges that include nine ICC World Test Championship Tests. Bangladesh are always competitive, particularly with spin. We look forward to the challenge on our home turf.”Bangladesh ‘A’ captain Anamul Haque said: “We have been very excited about facing the Pakistan Shaheens side in their backyard. The Shaheens squad looks strong, especially the fast bowling department. With the highly experienced players on either side, the first four-dayer will be highly competitive. This series is also crucial for the Bangladesh players looking to prepare for the upcoming Test series and youngsters who aim to stake a claim in the senior side.”Pakistan Shaheens (squad): Saud Shakeel (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Mohammad Huraira, Naseem Shah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saad Khan, Saim Ayub, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper) and Umar AminBangladesh ‘A’ (squad): Anamul Haque (captain), Hasan Mahmud, Hasan Murad, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Mominul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nayeem Hasan, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Ruyel Miah, Sahadat Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Zakir HasanMatch officials: Faisal Aafreedi and Imran Jawed (on-field umpires), Zulfiqar Jan (third umpire), Nadeem Arshad (match referee).

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Hosts Islamabad-B, Sindh in Women's and Islamabad B & A in Men's outclassed their opponents on the second-day pool matches of Independence Day Inter-Provincial Basketball Championships being organised by Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) here at Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex.Islamabad-B thrashed Balochistan Basketball Women team with score of 35 points as Islamabad-B won the match with 45-10 points. Shanzey scored 16 points, Shahbano Ikram scored 11 points for winning side while Faiza Khan and Laib Khan scored 06 and 02 points respectively from Balochistan Women team. In second match Sindh Women team defeated Islamabad-A by 59/39 score. Aisha Ijlal-25, Hareem Zahid-7 points scored for Sindh while Amani Khan -16 and Mahrukh Alvi scored 07 points for losing side Islamabad-A Women Basketball team.In men category Islamabad-B defeated Sindh Basketball team 74-64 score. Haroon Rashid-18 Ahmed Isnaan scored 14 points for Islamabad-B while Mohsin Riaz scored 13 and Mohammad Azhar scored 12 points for losing side.In the second match of men’s category, Islamabad-A defeated Balochistan by 83-44 points. Ali Hamza Kazmi-19 and Jabran Asif Khan scored 18 points respectively from Islamabad-A. While Jamal Khan 27 and Ahmed Nawaz scored 12 points for losing side Balochistan Basketball men’s team.All matches were supervised by Gul Jamal, Saadat Jehangir, Moazzam Navid Rao, Naveed Ahmed Beeda, Adeel S Raza, Muhammad Praim Shahzad and Muhammad Mudassar. The event is one of the series for the promotion of basketball in the country being organised under the supervision of the Federal Basketball Association. It is pertinent to add here that teams from Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, and Islamabad Men & Women are participating for a five days Championships.  

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced match officials for the Pakistan Shaheens’ home series against Bangladesh ‘A’, which includes two four-day and three 50-over matches from 13-30 August.Nadeem Arshad will lead the Playing Control Team (PCT) for the 13-16 August and 20-23 August matches, while Iftikhar Ahmed will be the match referee for the three 50-over matches on 26, 28 and 30 August.The umpiring responsibilities in the five matches will be shared between ICC/PCB International panel Umpires, Faisal Khan Aafreedi and Rashid Riaz, and PCB Elite Panel Umpires, Abdul Moqeet, Imran Jawed, Nasir Hussain, and Waleed Yaqoob.Umpire and match referee appointments:13-16 August – Pakistan Shaheens vs Bangladesh ‘A”. Faisal Aafreedi and Imran Jawed (on-field umpires), Zulfiqar Jan (third umpire), Nadeem Arshad (match referee)20-23 August – Pakistan Shaheens vs Bangladesh ‘A”. Faisal Aafreedi and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires), Zulfiqar Jan (third umpire), Nadeem Arshad (match referee)26 August – Pakistan Shaheens vs Bangladesh ‘A’. Rashid Riaz and Abdul Moqeet (on-field umpires), Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)28 August – Pakistan Shaheens vs Bangladesh ‘A’. Rashid Riaz and Waleed Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Abdul Moqeet (third umpire), Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)30 August – Pakistan Shaheens vs Bangladesh ‘A’. Rashid Riaz and Waleed Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Abdul Moqeet (third umpire), Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee) 

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Pakistan WAPDA won the 25th Men's Parco National Rugby Championship 2024 for the first time after defeating the Army team 17-0 in the final.A large number of spectators and families attended the Sunday’s matches of the Parco National Championship, including female rugby players who came to support the teams. In the first semifinal, Pakistan Army defeated Punjab Yellow, while in the second semifinal, Pakistan WAPDA overcame Islamabad Jinns. Punjab Yellow demonstrated impressive gameplay in the third and fourth positions, defeating Islamabad Jinns 15-10 in the final moments. In the final, WAPDA players showcased exceptional performance from the very first half. WAPDA's Amsal scored a try in the second minute of the first half, and in the ninth minute, Aamir scored another try, which was converted by Aamsal to make the halftime score 12-0. Despite considerable effort from the Army team in the second half, WAPDA's Afzaal scored another try early on, which remained intact until the end of the match and Wapda clinched the championship by beating the defending champions Army 17-0. The closing ceremony was graced by Sharon Dias, General Manager of Group Corporate Affairs at Parco. The event was also attended by Chaudhry Arif Saeed, President of the Pakistan Rugby Union, Chairman Fauzi Khawaja, Secretary Salman Sheikh, and a large number of officials from WAPDA Sports Board, Pakistan Army Sports Board, and former rugby players. 

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) in Men´s, Islamabad A, and Punjab in Women outclassed their opponents in the first leg of Pool matches of the Independence Day Inter-Provincial Basketball Championships organized by Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) here at Liaquat Gymnasium Pakistan Sports Complex.On the first day of the five-day championship, in the men’s event, Punjab thrashed Islamabad B with a margin of 42 points as Punjab won the match with 89-47 points. Safiullah scored 26 points, Mohammad Abdullah scored 20 points for the winning side while Mohammad Umer and Ahmad Ihsan scored 10, 10 points respectively for Islamabad.In the second match, KP defeated Islamabad A by 3 points in a nerve-jangling encounter, as the score was 73-70 points on the final whistle. Abdul Wahab 23, Umer Khan scored 18 points for KP while Usman Awan scored 20 and Raja Farhan scored 10 points for the losing side.In the women’s category, Islamabad A defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 51-32 points with a sparking performance of Asma Khan, who scored 12 points while her teammate Maruf Alvi scored 8 points and played a vital role in the Islamabad victory.In the second match, Punjab defeated Islamabad B by 67 points against 43 points. Ayman Mehmood of Punjab scored 17 points, Khadija Mushtaq scored 14 points for Punjab while Shanzlye Bibi scored 9 points for the losing side.

Karachi City beat Legacy FC 4-0 in the final, Rameen, Sarah, Zahmena, and Zulfia score goalsAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Karachi City Football Club have won the title of the National Women's Football Club Championship 2024 after thrashing Legacy FC 4-0 in a single-sided final at Jinnah Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Saturday night. In the first half, Karachi City FC took a 2-0 lead over Legacy FC. Rameen Farid scored the first goal for Karachi City FC in the 14th minute, followed by Sarah's goal in the 28th minute. The team's momentum continued in the second half, with Zahmena scoring the third goal in the 52nd minute. Zulfia sealed the victory with the fourth goal in the 75th minute. The winning team received a cash prize of Rs 1 million, while the runner-up earned Rs 500,000. The third-place team, Karachi United, took home Rs 300,000, and the Fair Play award went to Hazara Quetta, who were awarded Rs 200,000. Nadia Khan from Karachi City was honoured as the best player of the tournament, Nisha Ashraf from Karachi City was named the best goalkeeper, and Eman Mustafa was recognized as the top scorer with 8 goals. The final was attended by a distinguished group of guests, including Haroon Malik, Chairman of the Pakistan Football Federation NC, Senior member of PFF NC Mohammad Shahid Niaz Khokhar, Lahore Qalandars CEO and owner Atif Rana, PHF President Tariq Bugti, MNA Jamal Raeesani and a large audience of football enthusiasts.

Sports Bulletin ReportParis (France): Table tennis' tenth appearance at the Olympic Games concluded in thrilling fashion with two decisive matches that determined the Women's Team podium. China’s Women’s team continued their dominance in the event, securing their fifth consecutive gold medal with a 3-0 victory over Japan—marking China's historic 300th Olympic gold medal. Japan took home the silver. Meanwhile, Korea Republic earned the bronze, marking their first medal in the Team event since 2008.The conclusion of the Women's Team event at Paris 2024 marks the end of an extraordinary 15 days of table tennis held at the South Paris Arena 4, where more than 200,000 fans have created one of the best atmospheres of the Games. This thrilling Paris 2024 experience has elevated table tennis to new heights and showcased its growing global appeal, setting the stage for an exciting next chapter in Los Angeles 2028.China’s gold medal clash began with an intense doubles match, where Chen Meng and Wang Manyu faced a formidable challenge from Japan's surprise pairing of Hina Hayata and Miwa Harimoto. Despite the Japanese duo taking two games, the Chinese pair emerged victorious with a 3-2 win (9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10), giving China the critical first point. Building on this momentum, World No. 1 Sun Yingsha extended China’s lead with a dominant performance against Miu Hirano, winning 3-0 (13-11, 11-6, 11-6).The final match saw Wang Manyu secure the gold for China by defeating Miwa Harimoto 3-1 (12-14, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6). In addition to being China's 300th Olympic gold medal, this victory marks another significant achievement as Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu, and Chen Meng become the first trio to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the Women’s Team event. Meanwhile, with Japan's silver medal, 16-year-old Miwa Harimoto becomes the youngest table tennis medallist at Paris 2024."I was lagging behind when I came up, but I didn’t give up. Listening to everyone’s cheers, I became even more motivated. Each of us went all out today and played every position well. After these Olympics, I will take some time to reflect and continue working hard." - Sun YingshaIn the bronze medal match, Korea Republic ended their 16-year wait for a podium finish in the Team event by defeating Germany 3-0. The Korea Republic duo of Shin Yubin and Jeon Jihee started strong, winning the opening doubles match against Germany’s Yuan Wan and Xiaona Shan in a closely contested 3-2 victory (11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-8). Lee Eunhye then delivered a commanding 3-0 win (11-8, 11-9, 11-2) over Germany’s player of the tournament, Annett Kaufmann, setting the stage for Jeon Jihee to clinch the bronze for Korea Republic. Jeon Jihee’s decisive 3-0 victory (11-6, 11-6, 11-6) over Xiaona Shan sealed the win, bringing immense joy to the Korean team and fans at South Paris Arena. Reflecting on their achievement, Korea Republic's Shin Yubin expressed her pride, stating, "I'm so grateful to my teammates for playing so well and helping us secure a medal. Yesterday, Lee Eunhye and I watched videos together and discussed strategies. It felt like we executed them perfectly. I told her she was doing an excellent job, and I also praised Jeon Jihee, saying today she was amazing—absolutely perfect." 

Sports Bulletin ReportDarwin (August 10, 2024): Pakistan Shaheens registered a 17-run win over Perth Scorchers in their opening game of the Top End T20 series 2024 on Saturday at the DXC Arena in Darwin.In pursuit of the 189-run target, Scorchers’ batters, Teague Wyllie (4, 5b, 1x4) and Sam Fanning (13, 11b, 2x4s) departed in the third and fourth overs, respectively.Joel Curtis (17, 21b, 1x4) and Corey Wasley (54, 27b, 6x4s, 3x6s) threatened the Shaheens bowling attack with a 58-run fourth-wicket stand which was eventually broken by legspinner Arif Yaqoob in the 11th over.In the following over, Jahandad Khan dismissed the aggressive Wasley as well with Scorchers requiring 96 runs in 51 balls. Baxter Holt (24, 21b, 1x4, 1x6) and Keaton Critchell (24, 18b, 2x4s, 1x6) found the boundary on regular intervals for their 33-run fifth-wicket partnership before Holt was dismissed by Mohammad Abbas Afridi in the 16th over.Critchell departed for 24 off 18, hitting two fours and one six while Matthew Spoors, who remained unbeaten for 27 off 15 balls clubbing five fours, failed to make ends meet as Scorchers fell 17 runs short.Abbas and Jahandad picked up two wickets each while Mohammad Imran Jnr and Arif had one each to their name.Earlier, after opting to bat first, the Pakistan Shaheens posted a competitive total of 188-7 in the allotted 20 overs courtesy of 35-ball 57 from Usman Khan. Usman, batting at four, walked in to bat at the end of powerplay, struck four boundaries and three sixes in this outing keeping the Shaheens innings intact.Shaheens racked up 47 runs during the field restrictions, losing Haseebullah (12, 10b, 2x4s) and Tayyab Tahir (5, 11b, 1x4) in the course. Soon, Sahibzada Farhan too departed in the eighth over leaving Shaheens 58-3 in 7.3 overs.Skipper, Mohammad Haris (25, 19b, 3x4s) and Usman came together to put on 45-run fourth-wicket partnership off 28 balls before the former fell prey to Keaton Critchell in the 13th over.An over later, Mohammad Irfan Khan departed for a mere two off five balls, before Arafat Minhas played a powerful cameo of 31 runs facing 16 balls hitting three fours and one six.Usman and Arafat departed on consecutive deliveries before Mohammad Abbas Afridi (12 not out, 3b) belted two sixes in the last over to help Shaheens finish the innings with momentum. For Socrchers, Matthew Spoors bagged three wickets while Critchell, Luke Holt, Lucas Martin and Jhye Richardson picked up one each.Scores in brief (Pakistan Shaheens won by 17 runs):Pakistan Shaheens 188-7, 20 overs (Usman Khan 57, Sahibzada Farhan 36, Arafat Minhas 31, Mohammad Haris 25; Matthew Spoors 3-54)Perth Scorchers 171-6, 20 overs (Corey Wasley 54, Matthew Spoors 27, Keaton Critchell 24, Baxter Holt 24; Mohammad Abbas Afridi 2-32, Jahandad Khan 2-42).