Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Results sided with World rankings down in Potchestfstroom, South Africa with convincing victories for the Netherlands and India. Harmanpreet Singh buried four goals from specialty plays to lift India 10-2 over the hosts, despite a gutsy opening half where South Africa only trailed 3-1. The Dutch were also kept at bay in their match up against the recently impressive French side and it wasn’t until the third quarter that their scoring cylinders started firing. Captain Thierry Brinkman’s composure in the circle put two goals to his name in the 5-1 victory, while teammates Jorrit Croon and Joep de Mol both celebrated their 100th internationals. Back at the Cenard in Buenos Aires, the Leonas looked even more potent today as Agustina Gorzelany found her strides at the top of the penalty corner battery with all three Argentina goals for a the 3-1 victory and a weekend sweep of Belgium. To see the current women’s FIH Pro League Standings, click here. For the men, the weekend was split as Belgium really displayed their craft to earn a 2-0 redemption win over Argentina. Penalty corner aces Alexander Hendrickx and Loïck Luypeart each converted. South Africa v India (men) – Potchestfstroom, University of North West (RSA) Four second-half goals from Harmanpreet Singh helped India put away South Africa 10-2, an identical score line to their match up on Feb. 9. Daniel Bell and Connor Beauchamp notched goals for South Africa. It was a game of two halves in Potchefstroom when South Africa took on India for the second time. For the first 30 minutes, South Africa were hugely competitive, and it was only a less than clinical performance in front of goal – including a saved penalty stroke – that prevented them being on equal terms. South Africa drew first as the Cassiem brothers, Mustapha and Dayaan, combined for a penalty corner that Bell converted home past keeper Bahadur. Before the end of the quarter Surender Kumar tallied while Matt d’Souza was taking a rest with a green card. A great build up in the second quarter allowed Manpreet Singh to create space for Shilanand Lakra and he scored his first goal for India to give his side a 2-1 advantage. India enjoyed a third goal on a counterattack after a broken-down South African penalty corner. Brilliant work by Dilpreet Singh sets up Mandeep Singh for India’s third. As it was, at half-time it was 3-1 and could have gone either way. But, ahead of the game, Head Coach Graham Reid had asked for his team to 'execute' in front of goal and in the second half his players responded unequivocally. Pick of the crop was four-goal Player of the Match Harmanpreet Singh. His shots rifled in past Gowan Jones in the South Africa goal– it was a masterclass in power and precision. To start the third quarter South Africa was awarded a penalty stroke as Dayaan Cassiem was pushed on route to goal by Jarmanpreet Singh. Jethro Eustice’s stroke was saved well by Bahadur.  South Africa had more chances as they hit the bar in the 33rd minute and it was after this that India started to turn things on. Harmanpreet buried a penalty corner and Sumit tallied before the end of the third. From there, India continued with goals coming late in each of the third and fourth including three more for Harmanpreet. France v Netherlands (men) – Potchestfstroom, University of North West (RSA) The Netherlands found their scoring strides in the third quarter to win 5-1 over France. The day was also marked special for both Jorrit Croon and Joep de Mol, both celebrating their 100th international game. Icing on the cake for Croon who also notched a brilliant goal in the fourth quarter. Thierry Brinkman also tallied twice, while the younger Brinkman, Jasper, scored the opener. A sloppy tackle from Timothée Clément in the 21st minute left France short-handed at a critical time. It paid dividends as Thierry Brinkman was there to tap in at the far post to double the Dutch lead. An errant clear by the French defence then gave the Netherlands back-to-back penalty corner opportunities but Saunier’s left glove denied both attempts.    Some clever work from Etienne Tynevez into the Dutch circle gave youngster Antonin Igau a hopping blast at goal but the ball went just wide of the net in the 30th minute. The French pair combined seconds later with a baseline run that gave Igau an open look at goal but he couldn’t finish to leave the French still trailing 2-0 at half time. The third quarter piled on the goals, starting with the Dutch. Pieters curled and beat two French defenders and then an unmarked Thierry Brinkman calmly tapped in his second of the game. The very same Brinkman bravely saved a rocket of a drag flick off the stick of Victor Charlet in the 33rd minute. The rebound fell for Amaury Bellenger who one-timed the ball high into the net to deny a Dutch shutout. Another moment of Dutch brilliance came on their fourth marker as Croon brought down a Tjep Hoedemakers aerial with one hand only to then dazzle with a volley on his back hand for the 4-1 Netherlands go-ahead. Argentina v Belgium (women & men) – Cenard, Buenos Aires (ARG) At the Cenard a hat-trick from Agustina Gorzelany gave the Leonas a convincing 3-1 victory over Belgium to complete the two-game sweep. On the men’s side, it was a turn of the tides as the Red Lions put on a midfield show only to finish on two penalty corners and take the game 2-0. Gorzelany finally tallied on a penalty corner but it needed a slight deflection from Belgium’s Louise Versavel at the post to tie the game 1-1. Belgium were not without opportunity as late in the third quarter Breyne had a back-hand shot sail just over the cross bar. Gorzelany gave Argentina the lead on a second penalty corner ace in the 43rd minute. Her flick went low and hard, this time stick side, to reward the Leonas for their offensive efforts. Late in the fourth quarter, Gorzelany paced another penalty corner flick stick side and to complete her hat trick and shake any apprehensions she might have had in the opening half. FIH Pro League – 13 February 2021 Potchestfstroom, University of North West (RSA) Result: Men’s Match 14 South Africa 2, India 10 Player of the Match: Harmanpreet Singh (IND) Umpires: Annelize Rostron (RSA), Ayden Shrives (RSA), Wanri Venter (RSA-video) Result: Men’s Match 16 France 1, Netherlands 5 Player of the Match: Thierry Brinkman (NED) Umpires: Wanri Venter (RSA), Sean Rapaport (RSA), Aneelize Rostron (RSA-video) Cenard, Buenos Aires (ARG) Result: Women’s Match 10 Argentina 3, Belgium 1 Player of the Match: Maria Jose Granatto (ARG) Umpires: Irene Presenqui (ARG), Catalina Montesino (CHI), German Montes de Oca (ARG-video) Result: Men’s Match 14 Argentina 0, Belgium 2 Player of the Match: Victor Wegnez (BEL) Umpires: Diego Barbas (ARG), German Montes de Oca (ARG), Catalina Montesino (CHI)

Sports Bulletin Report GUJRANWALA:-Punjab Colours and Pakistan Navy claimed victories in the All Pakistan Commissioner Gujranwala Gold Cup Hockey Tournament, the match between Mari Petroleum and Punjab Whites ended in a 2-2 draw at Ghaggar Sports Complex Gujranwala on Sunday. The tournament is being played under the supervision of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and organized by Punjab Hockey Association (PHA). The first match of the second day of the event was played between Mari Petroleum and Punjab White that ended 2-2 draw. Wasim Akram and Ghazanfar scored one goal each for Mari Petroleum while Amir Ali and Bilal Aslam scored one goal each for Punjab White. The duties were performed by Zahid Hameed and Mahmood Ali. The reserve umpires were blessed. The duties of judges were performed by Sheikh Abid, Mirza Javed, Javed Sadiq and the duties of technical officer were performed by Zaheer-ul-Haq. The second match was played between Pakistan Navy and KPK. Pakistan Navy won 3-0. Zulqarnain, Babar Hussain and Mohammad Sufyan scored one goal each for Pakistan Navy. While the duties of judges are Hafiz Arshad, Munawar Hussain, Allah Dutta Bhatti and the duties of technical officer are Shafqat Mil. The third match of the event was played between Punjab Colours and Port Qasim. Punjab won the match by 2-1. Abu Bakar scored both the goals for Punjab while Abdul Rahim scored the lone goal for Port Qasim. Duties of Allah Daad, Hafiz-ur-Rehman Haroon Saeed and duties of Technical Officer were performed by Rafiq Khan. Five provincial and five departmental teams are participating in the event which is being held at Sports Arena Ghakhar (Gujranwala). Col. R. Asif Naz Khokhar has been appointed as Organizing Secretary, Olympian Danish Kaleem as Tournament Director and Rana Liaqat Ali (Attock) as Assistant Tournament Director. Umpires Manager FIH Umpires Manager Rashid Mehmood Butt (Railways) has been posted while former International Hockey Umpire Dilawar Bhatti is performing the duties of Assistant Umpires Manager.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Mardan-born off-spinner Sajid Khan has made rapid strides over the course of the last two years but his ascent to the highest level of cricket is a tale of relentless struggle, hard work, determination and a never-say-die attitude spread over two decades. The 28-year-old made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare last season and has already collected 18 wickets in his first four Tests. The highlight of Sajid’s short Test career has been his heroics in the Mirpur Test against Bangladesh in December, the off-spinner took 12 wickets in the match including eight in the first innings to lead Pakistan’s innings and eight runs victory in the ICC World Test Championship fixture. According to Sajid his cricketing story begins at the age of eight. “My story begins from when I was eight years old. I have two elder brothers, one is a rickshaw driver the other runs a grocery shop. Only those without a father would know what a struggle it is. When I grew up and started college I used do to some odd sport related jobs like fixing bat handles and grips and making between PKR 4 to 500, I used to also sell cell phones to make some money that I could spend on purchasing cricket gear. Despite his obvious promise and potential, Sajid failed to find a permanent slot in Peshawar sides to the sheer quality and depth that the first-class and Grade II squads especially as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regularly started unearthing players of international quality. Sajid decided to try his luck in Dubai where he juggled between a work at the Dubai Airport and weekend cricket opportunities.  “After Under-18 cricket, I barely got a chance to play Grade II cricket because Peshawar had a quality side and I could not make my way through that is when I left for Dubai. I used to work at Dubai Airport for five days and play cricket two days in the week. I had a six months visa but I didn’t even stay for six months as my mother asked me to return.” After returning from Dubai, Sajid finally made a long awaited breakthrough as Imran Khan Snr handed him perhaps the best cricket gift he could have hoped for at that stage of his career. “I found an opportunity to appear in Grade II trials, I got selected and joined the camp. At the camp Imran Khan Snr saw me, at that time Imran had played a few Tests for Pakistan, he asked me if I had cricket shoes but I couldn’t say to him I didn’t. Imran realised that I didn’t have cricket shoes so he took out a pair of cricket spikes and handed them to me. “My first match was for Peshawar against Wapda, with-in four overs I had taken six wickets and that is when my career took off. Once the domestic structure was revamped, I got an opportunity to play for the second XI and I scored 96 runs and took 13 wickets in a match against Balochistan.  I was immediately picked for the first XI (first-class) and I played my first match against Balochistan and took eight wickets. Sajid still has a long journey ahead of him and has big aspirations and dreams, he insists that hard work, perseverance and determination is what is required to succeed in cricket instead of a recommendation or source. He is a firm believer in letting your performance talk for you as he credits his mother for the turnaround in his life. “People who claim that you can’t play cricket without any recommendation or source lie, I would say it is a total lie. If you work hard and stay determined you are rewarded, I have fought hard and struggled for 20 years and then only have I reached here without any recommendation or source. I only work hard and respect my elders, whatever I have achieved, I have achieved due to my mother’s unflinching support. I owe everything to her and even today I look up to her for support, guidance and prayers.”

Special Report Next month’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 will take place in one of the greatest cricketing nations on earth – New Zealand. The number one summer sport, and second only to rugby all year round, the Kiwis are simply a nation of cricket lovers. They have over 70,000 registered players, while figures released by New Zealand Cricket in the last year reveal that there has been a 12% increase in the number of female participants playing the game. It will be the third time New Zealand host the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, with games to be across six stunning venues. Let’s take a look at previous major ICC tournaments that have taken place on the land of the long white cloud. ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups The 2022 tournament is not the first time New Zealand hosts the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The third tournament of the sport’s oldest world championship, in 1982, was also hosted entirely by New Zealand which included the competition’s first-ever final - the previous two editions in England (1973) and India (1978) were decided via the league table. But four years later, Lancaster Park in Christchurch hosted the first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final in front of a crowd of just over 3,000, seeing Australia defeat England by three wickets to lift the trophy. The tournament returned in 2000 for a three-week-long edition that culminated with a final at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, which saw the host nation triumph in one of the greatest World Cup finals of all-time - defeating Australia by just four runs. That gave the White Ferns their maiden world title and the class of 2022 would love a similar outcome on home soil this time around. ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups New Zealand has twice acted as hosts of the men’s 50-over tournament, on both occasions sharing the responsibilities with continental neighbours Australia. The first time was in 1992, the fifth staging of the finals. Seven of the 18 venues came from the two islands that make up Aotearoa with matches from Dunedin up to Auckland. The latter's Eden Park, the national stadium, hosted four matches including the opening game of the competition, where the Black Caps memorably beat their co-hosts by 37 runs. In 2015, the men’s tournament returned as seven cities, including Hamilton, Napier, Christchurch, Nelson and Dunedin hosted games, this time with each having a minimum of three matches. The largest stadia, Eden Park and the 37,000-capacity Wellington Regional Stadium, both hosted four games including a quarter- and a semi-final between them. The last-four tie in Auckland provided one of the highlights of the tournament when Brendon McCullum’s team beat South Africa by four wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method and reach their first-ever senior men’s final before falling to their co-hosts at the MCG. ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cups New Zealand has also hosted the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup tournament on three occasions. The best young players in the world have headed to the islands described as the ‘paradise of the Pacific’, for the 2002, 2010, and 2018 events. The Bert Sutcliffe Oval hosted the finals of the 2002 and 2010 editions, while the Bay Oval in the stunning surroundings of Mount Maunganui, Tauranga hosted the 2018 final between India and Australia that saw the Indians win by eight wickets.

Aamir Ali Janjua DUBAI (UAE):-With the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 now just a matter of weeks away, the excitement is building as we near a month-long feast of cricket. From Australia to Bangladesh, the best teams in the world are applying the finishing touches to their preparation after a five-year journey to New Zealand. Here we take a look at how all eight teams qualified for the showpiece event, from the hosts all the way through to the debutants. New Zealand As hosts, New Zealand qualified automatically for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022. The omens are good for the White Ferns, who won the tournament last time it was played in New Zealand 22 years ago. They won a thrilling final by four runs against Australia on that occasion, successfully defending 184 at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln to earn revenge for a defeat against the same opponents three years previously. Australia Six-time champions Australia, who top the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings, will make the short trip over the Tasman Sea in March after winning the ICC Women’s Championship. The three-year competition was contested by eight teams, with the top four booking their place automatically. In their 21 matches, Australia lost only once – all the way back in 2017 at Coffs Harbour against England. Three-zero series wins in India and against Pakistan, New Zealand, the West Indies and Sri Lanka show they will be tough to stop once again. England Holders England, like Australia, qualified through the ICC Women’s Championship, where they finished second with 29 points. England won 14 of their 21 matches, including that impressive win against Australia at Coffs Harbour, while they also recorded series wins against Pakistan, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. South Africa With 10 wins and 25 points, South Africa were the third nation to qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022. Like England, they also lost just six of their 21 matches, while they also won 10. That includes a 3-0 series win against hosts New Zealand, a series in which they batted second and chased down their target each time. India India were the final team to qualify through the ICC Women’s Championship, with 10 wins enough to see them finish fourth. A 2-1 series victory against South Africa in February 2018 put them in a strong position but it was their 2-1 series success against England a year later that made the rest of the world sit up and take notice. India bowled England out for 136 and 161 in the first two matches of the series on their way to securing two comfortable victories. West Indies With a series whitewash against Sri Lanka and further ODI wins against South Africa and India, West Indies finished seventh in the ICC Women’s Championship. They were in Zimbabwe for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier but when the competition was called off, their world ranking of seventh was strong enough to secure a place. Pakistan Pakistan had flashes of brilliance during the ICC Women’s Championship, including bowling South Africa out for just 63 on their way to an eight-wicket win. They eventually finished fifth, just four points off the top four, and were playing in the Qualifier before it was called off. Ranked eighth in the world, they were then automatically through to the main event and will be the lowest ranked side in New Zealand. Bangladesh  Ranked fifth in the world, Bangladesh will make their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup debut this year. Although not a part of the Women’s Championship and one of the teams in Harare for the Qualifier, Bangladesh qualified as a result of their ranking – which is higher than established heavyweights New Zealand, West Indies and Pakistan.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-It was an exciting day of Pro League action as the No. 13 world ranked France toppled the No. 3-ranked Indian side in an exciting 5-2 game in South Africa. While the France defence were outstanding, it was the firing offence that put on a show. India struggled to convert on penalty corners and could only tally from the stroke mark. In the game following, Dennis Warmerdam buried two fantastic goals to lead the Netherlands to a 6-2 victory and pick up Player of the Game honours. France v India (men) – Potchestfstroom, University of North West (RSA) France’s impenetrable defence powered the team to a 5-2 win, after taking Netherlands to a 2-2 tie just days earlier. Victor Charlet lead in scoring with a pocket of set pieces, while Viktor Lockwood, Charles Masson and Timothée Clément also got on the scoresheet. Penalty strokes from Jarmanpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh were all India could muster despite 13 penalty corner attempts. France found their go-ahead goal in the 35th minute when Baumgarten’s quick free pass found its way to Lockwood on the left baseline. Lockwood crafted his way through the Indian defence and blasted a tight-angled shot out of the air and through the legs of Sreejesh. Speaking of his goal, Player of the Match Viktor Lockwood said: 'It was crazy, I don't really strike on anything but my reverse, so that was a surprise. We had a difficult first game but now we are in the competition. We brought a lot of energy which made up for lack of prep.' South Africa v Netherlands (men) – Potchestfstroom, University of North West (RSA) The Netherlands dominated the game to a 6-2 victory over hosts, South Africa, in the second game of Pro League play today. Dennis Warmerdam buried two goals and was named Player of the Match as the Dutch showed fine form in their build up all night, while it was their final moves as they entered the circle that were as if someone was pulling a trigger – piercing and direct. After the game Warmerdam said: 'I preferred my first goal of the two, it was great counter and all I had to do was tap it in. [Referring to his recovery from cancer] It is a medical miracle that I am standing here.' To open the scoring, Jorrit Croon’s aerial into the circle was mishandled between South Africa’s Daniel Bell and keeper Estiaan Kriek. Thijs van Dam scooped up the loose ball and put it in the untended net for a 1-0 Netherlands lead just before the first quarter break. South African captain Keenan Horne said after the match: 'It was about small margins. If we had scored the penalty stroke it may have been a different game. But it was much better than our previous two games. We have gone back to basics and defended well. Defence is the cornerstone of our play.’ Argentina v Belgium (women & men) – Cenard, Buenos Aires (ARG) The Leonas were out in fine form as they dropped Belgium 3-1 in front of a roaring home crowd. Eugenia Trinchinetti’s pair of goals lead the way for the home side, while Maria Granatto, recently Pan American Cup’s Player of the Tournament, netted the game-winner. Skipper Alix Geniers was the lone Belgian scorer in the match. After the game Trinchinetti said: ‘We think that the key was that we kept on trying to play our game. We know that Belgium is a really good team and their defence is really good so we are going to see the [video] of this match and prepare for tomorrow.’ After the game Gerniers said: ‘The three first quarters were quite okay but then we let go a bit in the last quarter and I think we are quite disappointed about the result. We need to see the video and see what we can do better and tomorrow is another day and another game.’ Speaking after the game Argentina’s Agustin Bugallo was named Player of the Match and said: ‘It was a really nice result in Argentina with [a home crowd] and we are very happy with that. I think we are improving as a team but we have another fight for tomorrow. We have to rest tonight.’ FIH Pro League – 12 February 2021 Potchestfstroom, University of North West (RSA) Result: Men’s Match 11 France 5, India 2 Player of the Match: Viktor Lockwood (FRA) Umpires: Sean Rapaport (RSA), Annelize Rostron (RSA), Ayden Shrives (RSA-video) Result: Men’s Match 13 South Africa 2, Netherlands 6 Player of the Match: Dennis Warmerdam (NED) Umpires: Ayden Shrives (RSA), Wanri Venter (RSA), Sean Rapaport (RSA-video) Cenard, Buenos Aires (ARG) Result: Women’s Match 9 Argentina 3, Belgium 1 Player of the Match: Maria Granatto (ARG) Umpires: Irene Presenqui (ARG), Catalina Montesino (CHI), Diego Barbas (ARG-video) Result: Men’s Match 12 Argentina 2, Belgium 1 Player of the Match: Agustin Bugallo (ARG) Umpires: German Montes de Oca (ARG), Diego Barbas (ARG), Irene Presenqui (ARG-video)

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-The ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year Shaheen Shah Afridi is presently busy leading the Lahore Qalandars in their quest for their first HBL Pakistan Super League title as the seventh edition of the tournament moves towards the business end in Lahore. While Shaheen has one eye on the HBL PSL trophy, he has also set his sights on Australia’s all-format tour of Pakistan. The Pat Cummins-led Australia will be touring Pakistan for the first time in over 24 years for three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I, Shaheen was not even born when the Mark Taylor-led Australia won the 1998 Test series 1-0 before Steve Waugh-led side clean swept the three-match ODI series 3-0. Shaheen who took 78 wickets in 36 international matches last year at 22.20 is keen on continuing his rich vein of form especially in the three-match ICC World Test Championship series that begins with the first Test in Rawalpindi from March 4. The 21-year-old was in red-hot form in with the red ball in 2021 collecting 47 wickets in nine Tests at 17. 06 with an innings best of six for 51. Shaheen played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s success against South Africa at home, the two-match drawn series in the West Indies and Pakistan’s 2-0 clean sweeps against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in their own backyards. Shaheen Shah Afridi: “When Australia last toured Pakistan I was not even born. This series is as such of a huge significance and I want to give a good performance and my aim is to build further on my 2021 performances across the three formats. “A series against Australia is always a big one and performing against them gives you recognition as they have always been one of the top sides. I always looked forward to playing against them in the UAE or in Australia and now playing them at home will be a massive occasion indeed and I am determined to give my best. “Last year our bowling attack was the best in the world and our aim is to maintain the momentum, Hasan [Ali] and I always look to attack and take wickets. I am sure we will get great support from the crowd during the series as fans would be excited to see the Australian side play on our grounds. “Playing in home conditions is always an advantage because you know the pitches better than the opponents and of course home fans also provide and extra incentive to perform.”

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-Ivan Iutkin from Russia and Andra Izabella from Romaina have lifted the titles of ITF Pakistan AJ Towers World Junior Tennis Championships respectively after winning the finals that played at PTF-S DA Tennis Complex, Islamabad on Saturday. Unseeded Ivan Iutkin of Russia clinched the Boys Singles title by eliminating 5th seed Aldiyar Abzhan of Kazakhstan in a straight-set with the score of 6-3 and 6-1, as the match lasted 40 minutes. Ivan Iutkin displayed an aggressive game and did not allow his opponent to settled down throughout the match, In the first set Ivan broke the 4th, 6th, and 9th  game of  Aldiyar and wrap-up the set at 6-3. In the second set, Ivan showed remarkable speed and exhibited excellent tennis, and easily won the second set at 6-1. Earlier, in the morning, top seed Andra Izabella Sirbu of Romania annexed the Girls Singles title in an exciting two-set match against 2nd seed Tamara Ermakova of Russia 7-6(2) 7-5 which lasted 1 hr 51 minutes. Tamara Ermakova took a flying start to break the 1st and 3rd game of Andra with a lead of 4-0 in the opening set. Andra Izabella fought back bravely and played excellent tennis from the baseline and leveled the set 4-4 all by breaking the 6th and 8th game of Tamara. At this stage both the players hold their respective serve by playing defense and the score went up to 6-6 all. In the tie break, Andra Sirbu again took a lead by displaying exhilarating tennis to wrap up the tie break at 7-2. In the second set, Tamara again took the lead 4-1 by breaking the 4th game of Andra Izabella by hitting some incredible shots. Andar Izabella changed the pattern of the game; not only level the set at 5-5 all but also overcome against the nerves of Tamara and broke the 11 games and maintain the lead 6-5. In the 12th game, Andra played well and finished the match at 7-5, and gained valuable World Ranking points to improve their international ranking. Tariq Mehmood Murtaza Chairman Rawalpindi Development Authority and President Islamabad Tennis Association graced the occasion as chief guest. Afan Aziz, CEO of the AJ Towers (Aziz Group) as a guest of honor distributed the prizes amongst the winners and runner-up. Earlier, Yerzhan Kistafin Ambassador of Kazakhstan witnessed the Girls Singles Final and interacted with the participating players, coaches, parents & officials. Hassan Baig SEVP and Sq. Ldr. Naveed Iqbal SVP Islamabad Tennis Association along with Col. Gul Rehman Secretary PTF were also present on the occasion.   Results: Boys Singles Final Ivan Iutkin (RUS) beat Aldiyar Abzhan (KAZ) 6-3 6-1 Girls Singles Final Andra Izabella Sirbu (ROU) beat Tamara Ermakova (RUS) 7-6(2) 7-5.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-Dev Kanbargimath from Romania pairing with Arila Kayra Tuna from Turkey have won the Doubles’ title of the ITF Pakistan AJ Towers World Junior Tennis Championship after beating Nikita Bortnichek from Russia pairing with his compatriot Ruslan Serazhetdinov 2-1 at PTF-SDA Tennis Complex Islamabad on Friday. The final score-line was 6-3, 4-6 and 11-9. In the Doubles’ final, in the opening set Dav and Arial took a early lead by 4-1 breaking the 4th game of Ruslan and continue the same pressure to take a lead of 1-0 set. In the second set, both teams were exhibited excellent tennis by holding their serve 4-4 games all. Nikita & Ruslan managed to break the 10th game of Dev and Arial and leveled the match 1-1 set all. In the deciding super tie break, Dev and Arial took a flying start to take the lead 6-1 but Nikita and Ruslan fought back aggressively and leveled the score 9-9 all but unable to manage the streak and lost next two points. Match lasted 1 hour 20 minutes. Earlier in the morning session, 2nd Seed Munisa Ashurekova of Uzbekistan paring with Melisa Ugur from Turkey annexed the Girls Doubles title by eliminating the top seeded duo of Andra Izabella from Romania and Olga Sorochkina from Russia in a 3-sets thriller 6-1 2-6 10-7 which lasted 1 hour 6 minutes. In the opening set, Munisa and Melisa displayed excellent tennis with a combination of cross court and down the line shots and did not allow their opponent to settle down with  breaks of serve in the 3rd, 5th and 7th game of Andra and Olga. In the second set Andra and Olga fought back aggressively and took  revenge in the same fashion by breaking the 4th, 6th and 8th game of Munisa and Melisa. The deciding super tie break saw some exhilarating tennis as both the teams played incredible shots. Munisa and Melisa managed to take an early lead 6-3 and continued the winning spree till they took the set and match at 10-7. Results: Boys Doubles Final Dev Kanbargimath (ROU) & Arila Kayra Tuna (TUR) beat Nikita Bortnichek (RUS) & Ruslan Serazhetdinov (RUS) 6-3, 4-6, 11-9 Girls Doubles Final Munisa Ashurekova (UZB) & Melisa Ugur (TUR) beat Andra Izabella Sirbu (ROU) & Olga Sorochkina (RUS) 6-1, 2-6, 10-6.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) can now confirm the 16 teams that will participate in the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup taking place from 1 to 12 April 2022 at the North-West University (NWU) of Potchefstroom, South Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe (Africa) India, Korea, Malaysia (Asia) England, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine, Wales (Europe) Argentina, Canada, United States, Uruguay (Pan Americas) The event was scheduled to be played in December 2021 but had to be postponed due to the Omicron outbreak. Japan, Belgium and Spain had qualified for this tournament but have decided not to take part in the rescheduled event. They’ve been replaced by Malaysia, Ukraine and Wales. Australia, New Zealand and China had withdrawn already last year due to COVID-related reasons and were replaced by Argentina, Ireland and Korea. In order to support all teams, FIH has decided to extend the number of players to 20 per team. However, only 18 players will be allowed on the start list of any match. Furthermore, the event will start and finish one day earlier than initially planned. This move will help players getting back earlier to their respective clubs and therefore being available for domestic fixtures. FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “The FIH Hockey Junior World Cup is such an important milestone in international players’ careers that we’re really happy to be able to stage the upcoming edition, in South Africa, after we were left with no other option than postponing it last year. We’re looking forward to seeing so many of hockey’s rising stars in action in just a few weeks time!” It will be the ninth edition of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup. Argentina won the last edition in 2016 in Santiago, Chile. In the final, they overcame the Netherlands, who won three FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cups - a record to date – in 1997, 2009 and 2013.