Islamabad (Sports Report):-New Zealand will host the WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship 2023, as World Squash Federation has awarded the mega event to New Zealander officially, as an exhibition centre on the North Island city of Tauranga and is provisionally scheduled for late 2023. News of Tauranga’s winning bid will no doubt come as a relief to squash lovers in New Zealand – which has not hosted the men’s event since 1983 – after COVID-19 restrictions forced Tauranga to relinquish the 2021 edition. “It’s great to have the 2023 WSF Men’s World Team Championship secured for New Zealand. It has been a strange couple of years for all events and [Chair of the Organising Committee] Wayne Werder and the team in Tauranga should be commended for their hard work to gain the hosting rights for this prestigious event which will feature all of the top ranked men’s PSA players,” said Squash New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Dowson. He added: “We know that in 2023 the venue will be even bigger and better and will do the sport proud.” New Zealand’s World No.2 Paul Coll is excited to be playing a major tournament in front of home fans. He added: “Having the World Teams in New Zealand is huge for the sport. For me to personally play in New Zealand is rare, so having a tournament of this calibre is massive and means a lot to me to play in front of friends, sponsors and family. “It’s also a big occasion to promote the sport I love and show how good it is to fellow Kiwis. I haven’t lost at a World Teams event at the last two events and I want to keep that record and take the New Zealand team as high as possible with plenty of hometown support.” Werder, meanwhile, said: “It’s great to have the recognition from the WSF to host the 2023 WSF Men’s Team Championship in Tauranga, particularly after not being able to host in 2021. We have the facilities and manpower behind the tournament and look forward to hosting the world’s best right here in New Zealand and to give our very own Paul Coll a chance to participate at home.” Defending champions Egypt will likely go into the tournament as strong favourites, alongside five-time winners England and two-time runners up France. The Kiwi team will be looking to build on a strong showing in 2019, where a team of Paul Coll, Campbell Grayson, Evan Williams and Lwamba Chileshe finished fifth. Concluding, WSF CEO William Louis-Marie said: “My congratulations to New Zealand and Tauranga, who will no doubt host an incredible tournament. New Zealand boasts great facilities, warm hospitality, strong public support, and a real squash pedigree and I am sure that every player will be eagerly awaiting the squad list!”

Karachi (Sports Report):-Captain’s innings from Iftikhar Ahmed helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa post 252 for five on the opening day of the five-day pink-ball final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday. The right-handed batter Iftikhar brought up his first century of the tournament facing 168 balls. He stitched a 104-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Kamran Ghulam who scored 72 off 196 balls, hitting 11 fours. The right-handed Kamran fell to Mohammad Nawaz in the final session of the day. Iftikhar was the last wicket to fall on the first day, when he was bowled by Waqas Ahmed for 102 facing 170 balls, which included 13 fours. Wicketkeeper-batter Rehan Afridi (23, one four, 53b) and Asif Afridi (three off seven) were not out. For Northern, Waqas picked three wickets for 52. Earlier Northern won the toss and opted to bowl first. Regular captain Nauman Ali was side lined due to a foot injury, Umar Amin was named the side’s captain for the final. Seasoned pacer Waqas provided Northern the perfect start by sending back Fakhar Zaman and this season’s leading run-getter Sahibzada Farhan on consecutive balls of the second over the match. The experienced pair of Ashfaq Ahmed and Kamran took Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 77 for two at tea, adding 71 runs in the first session for their third wicket alliance. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost Ashfaq’s wicket soon after the break, the right-hander fell for 45 off 92 balls (five fours) with off-spinner Mubasir Khan taking his wicket – the 26th of the season for the youngster. Captain Iftikhar joined Kamran at the crease after Ashfaq’s departure, Kamran reached the 13th half-century of his first-class career off 131 balls (nine fours). Kamran and Iftikhar added 73 runs till the break, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 158 for three at dinner after 55 overs. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 252-5, 87 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 102, Kamran Ghulam 72, Ashfaq Ahmed 45; Waqas Ahmed 3-52) Match points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2; Northern 1

Peshawar (SB Report):-Khyber PakhtunKawa on top with three gold and two silver medals in the 2nd IGFC National Taekwondo Championship in District Tank. Waziristan Azmari, Gilgit Baltista and Islamabad claimed one each gold medal. Results: Under 54 KG 1st. Hasnaat Khan (GB) 15 2nd. Hassan Muttayab (KPK) 10 3rd. Rashid Khan (Waziristan Azmari) 05 4th. Hasan Mohammad Atta (Punjab) 05 Under 87 KG 1st. Khan Ibrar (KPK) 15 2nd. Ahmed Ijaz (Baluchistan) 10 3rd. Javed Mohammad (Punjab) 05 4th. Karim Zafar (GB) 05 Over 87 KG 1st. Khan Tariq (KPK) 15 2nd. Hakeem Luqman (Waziristan Azmari) 10 3rd. Tehseen Khan (GB) 05 4th. Shah Ahmed (Baluchistan) 05 Under 45 KG 1st. Ishaq Saqib (Islamabad) 15 2nd. AWAIS Mohammad (Baluchistan) 10 3rd. Sheikh Moiz (Sindh) 05 4th. Jan Zain Raza (Waziristan Azmari) 05 Under 78 KG 1st. Fahad Khan (Waziristan Azmari) 15 2nd. Abdul Jabbar Khan (                KPK) 10 3rd. Mohammad Sudais (Baluchistan) 05 4th. Hashir Ali (Sindh) 05 Over 78 KG 1st. Bilal Khan (KPK) 15 2nd. Arifullah Khan (Islamabad) 10 3rd Mohammad Danyal (Waziristan Azmari) 05 4th Mohammad Rehan Mughal (Punjab) 05.

Sports Report LAHORE (December 25, 2021):-Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan inaugurated the 57th National Table Tennis Championship at Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium Hall on Saturday. Secretary Pakistan Table Tennis Federation Ahmer Malik, Secretary Punjab Olympic Association Idris Haider Khwaja, President Punjab Table Tennis Association Irfan Ullah Khan, Chief Sports Consultant SBP Hafeez Bhatti were also present on this occasion. A large number of young male and female table tennis players and sports enthusiasts also attended the colourful opening ceremony. Male and female artistes presented attractive cultural and regional dances and performances to entertain the large crowd. Talking to media Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan said Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab is fully supporting this national championship. “The promotion of sports culture across the province is our prime objective and that’s why we always extended every kind of assistance for the holding of multiple sports events in all parts of Punjab”. Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan further said Punjab province has plenty of sports talent and Sports Board Punjab is striving hard to provide sufficient playing opportunities to talented male and female players by holding maximum number of sports events across the province. In his media talk, Secretary Pakistan Table Tennis Federation Ahmer Malik informed that it’s the biggest ever National Table Tennis Championship of the country in which over 200 players from 14 teams are participating. He also thanked Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan for extending excellent support and facilities for the holding of National Table Tennis Championship at Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium Hall.            

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai, UEA (December 25, 2021):-Pakistan Under-19 cricket team defeated India Under-19 cricket team by 2 wickets in a thrilling match in ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup. Mohammad Shehzad scored 81 runs and judged man of the match while Zeeshan Zameer took 5 wickets. Pakistan U-19 needed 2 runs on the last ball of the match to win that Ahmed Khan hit a four to lead the team to victory. He played an unbeaten innings of 29 off 19 balls with the help of 3 fours and a six.  Pakistan U-19 cricket team achieved the target of 238 runs on the last ball of the match at a loss of 8 wickets. Mohammad Shehzad of Pakistan made 81 off 105 balls with 5 sixes and 4 fours. Mohammad Irfan Niazi 32 and Rizwan Mahmood 29 runs were out. India's Raj Nad Bawa took four wickets. Earlier, thanks to the excellent bowling of fast bowler Zeeshan Zameer, India U-19 cricket team was bowled out for 237 runs in 49 overs. Zeeshan Zameer guided 5 players to the pavilion for 60 runs. Owais Ali took 2 wickets while Moaz Sadaqat and Qasim Akram took one wicket each. India Under-19 cricket team's wicket keeper Better Aradhya Yadav scored 50 and Harnoor Pinnu scored 46 runs.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 25, 2021):-Pakistan number one tennis player Aqeel Khan and upcoming lad Mohammad Shoaib set their clash in the final of the Men’s Single event of the 6th Serena Hotels National Ranking Tennis Tournament 2021 after winning the semifinals at SDA-PTF Tennis Complex garden Avenue on Saturday. Final will be played on Sunday at the same venue in the morning. On Saturday in the first semifinal of the Men’s Singles, Mohammad Shoaib defeated Muzammil Murtaza in straight sets 2-0 with the score line of 6-3 and 6-3, revenged his last defeat from the hands of Muzzamil in the final of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed National Tennis Championship last Sunday at Islamabad Tennis Complex G-6, by playing excellent game and did not show any leniency during the whole match. It is pertinent to mention here that Mohammad Shoaib had overcome Aqeel Khan in the semifinal of the same championship 2-1. Later, in the second semifinal, Aqeel Khan got rid of Mohammad Abid 2-0, as the winner guy had to toil hard in the first set to overcome his rival. The final score-line was 7-6(5) and 6-2. Top seed Aqeel Khan saved 2 set points in the first set before beating Mohammad Abid at score of 7-6(5) and 6-2. Results: Men's Singles (Semi-Finals): Mohammad Shoaib beat Muzammil Murtaza 6-3, 6-3 Aqeel Khan beat Mohammad Abid 7-6(5), 6-2 Boys’ Under-18 Singles (Semi-Finals) Hasheesh Kumar beat Hamid Israr 6-3, 6-1 Abdullah Adnan beat Mahatir Mohammad 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 Men's Doubles (Semi-Finals): Aisam ul Haq  / Aqeel Khan beat Ahmed Chaudhary / Waqas Malik 7-6(3), 6-1 Muzammil Murtaza / Mohammad Abid bt Yousaf Khalil / Heera Ashiq 3-6, 6-4(10-6) Sunday’s Fixtures: Boys’ Under-18 Singles Final: 10:00 am Ladies Singles Final: 10:00 am Men's Singles Final: 10:00 am

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-We all have seen Yuvraj Singh's impeccable cricket as he hits balls off the ground with unmatchable sixes. But for the first time, the cricketer has been seen traveling in space. Well, sort of. For the first time, Colexion, Asia's biggest NFT marketplace, stepped ahead to push boundaries in space and launched satellite NFTs carrying prized possessions of the legendary India cricketer Yuvraj Singh in the metaverse last week. Colexion partnered with the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning batsman Yuvraj to release his own NFTs with augmented reality for this ground-breaking initiative. A hot-air balloon was launched from earth to orbit carried Yuvraj Singh's iconic bat, which he used to register his first-ever century in the 2003 ODI match against Bangladesh in Dhaka. Moreover, a never-before-released personalized video of Yuvraj Singh bat's entire space journey will be made accessible for fans, as it becomes the first minted NFT ever to be sent in orbit. The video will be uploaded on Colexion's official website in the last week of December. While speaking about his journey to space, Yuvraj, who is also an investor in Colexion, says, “I am excited to share my first NFT space journey exclusively on Colexion. Connecting with my fans on a new platform like this is exciting and I look forward to share some of my most cherished possessions like the first century bat.”  “I have always wanted to be closer to my fans and I am happy to partner with Colexion to be able to share these precious tokens from my cricketing journey with the people who have loved and encouraged me every step of the way. I look forward to engage with them in my Colexion digital avatar," he added, signing off from space. After this, Yuvraj will drop his first NFT that will be live on 25th December 2021. The NFT will contain a 3D version of the cricketer along with his signed 1st-century bat to be made available for his beloved fans. Furthermore, Colexion is creating a one-of-its-kind Virtual NFT Museum for all the NFTs of Yuvraj where his fans can be a part of his life's journey. Further, the cricketer's signed merchandise will be offered as giveaways on the platform as NFTs. Speaking about the initiative, Founder Abhay says, "We'll launch an autographed cricket bat along with a 3D statue of the cricketer, providing an exclusive opportunity to fans to own his digital collectibles. Colexion enables fans to witness this historic event and become a part of this massive revolution. We are creating interesting digital spaces for him to engage with his fans who will also be now able to 'own' special moments of his career." Through this historic initiative, Colexion aims to establish its footprint by becoming the first-ever NFT marketplace to launch exclusive NFT in space through high-end technology and innovation. NFT stands for non-fungible tokens- one-of-a-kind, blockchain-based assets that live on the blockchain and have become a blossoming business in the art world, with some selling recently for millions of dollars. Colexion is a platform that allows fans to buy, trade, and sell unique digital collectibles in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). An NFT is a form of crypto asset which uses blockchain to record the ownership status of digital objects, such as images, videos, and text. And Colexion through unique trump cards enables fans to own NFTs of their favorite player or celebrity. Interestingly, sports NFTs are quite the buzz— today's card collectors have shifted their attention to sports NFTs that offer proof of unique ownership of a video, photo, or other digital capture of an important moment in sports history. Earlier, Colexion has launched the world's largest NFT drop of 30 celebrities in the form of trump cards, including music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman, cricketers Varun Chakravarthy and Dwayne Bravo, and Bollywood and TV stars Tanuj Virwani and Aamir Ali, among others. Launched by Colexion, interactive trump cards contain photos and models in 3D and 2D formats of the celebrities.

Karachi (Sports Report):-The five-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 pink-ball, day-night final has started between Northern and the joint-defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the National Stadium, Karachi from Saturday. The National Stadium staged the dramatic finale of the previous season between Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which ended in a tie. Another absorbing final between two balanced and well matched sides is expected from Saturday. Northern topped the table with 152 points from 10 matches (four wins, four draws, two defeats). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sealed the second spot with a tally of 150 points from their 10 games (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Sindh who were on top of the points table leading into the last two rounds, lost their way at the end and despite winning their 10th and final fixture against Southern Punjab finished with 143 points (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Northern captain Nauman Ali: “We have peaked at the right time and due to an all-round effort secured a spot in the final. I have been hugely impressed by the fight shown by our young players in the final few rounds which resulted in us topping the table. The pink-ball final though will be a different challenge for players from both sides with conditions expected to change especially under the lights. “However, I am confident that we possess the skills and the depth in our squad to compete at our best against a formidable side like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Iftikhar Ahmed: “This year’s tournament has proven to be as competitive as the previous two editions in the revamped domestic system. I am really pleased about our performances and how we have managed to secure a place in the final despite stiff competition. Our batters and bowlers have done admirably and raised the level of their game especially in the Karachi-leg which has produced results in almost every game. “The pink-ball under the lights will be a big challenge for both sides and it in a way even things out. It is a bit of an unknown for both set of players so I feel the first two days will be crucial for both teams as they will seek to gain early advantage. I have full confidence in my players and I think they will rise up to the challenge as we seek our fifth consecutive domestic title across the three formats.” Prize money: Winner - PKR 10,000,000 Runner Up - PKR 5,000,000 Best Batter - PKR 500,000 Best Bowler - PKR 500,000 Best Wicketkeeper - PKR 500,000 Player of the Tournament - PKR 500,000 Player of the final - PKR 50,000 Match officials: On-field umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Afridi TV umpire: Rashid Riaz Reserve umpire: Imtiaz Iqbal Match Referee: Nadeem Arshad

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 25, 2021):-Islamabad Table Tennis Association (ITTA) has named male and female teams for upcoming 57th National Table Tennis Championship that will be held in Lahore after conducting trials. According to an official of ITTA, around 30 men from capital city and 16 women participated in the trials.The selection committee was consisted of Masood Rabbani, Mohammad Farooq, Raza Rafiq and Naeem Shaukat. The selected five men and five women players will represent Islamabad in the upcoming 57th National Table Tennis Championship, which will be taken place in Lahore. At this occasion, president, ITTA SM Rashid Qadri wished good luck to all the players and said to enter in the field with the spirit of victory. Rashid Qadri also distributed the shirt and track suit among the selected players. Names of selected men: 1: Abdullah Naeem 2: Mohammad Danish Tanveer 3: Mohammad Omar Saeed Ibrahim 4: Bilal Khan 5: Nabil Ahmed Names of selected women: 1: Rahnail Satti 2: Isha Khan 3: Laiba Khan 4: Insha Afridi 5: Iqra Asghar

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (December 24, 2021):-Pakistan Air Force (PAF) defeated WAPDA 3-1 with a score of 25-11, 21-25, 25-19 and 25-21  in the thrilling title clash of Mir Chakar Azam Rind Volleyball Tournament at Gymnasium Hall Divisional Sports Complex, Dera Ghazi Khan on Friday. The 3rd position went to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who trounced South Punjab by 3-0 with the score of 25-18, 25-19, 31-29 in the 3rd/4th position match. Minister of State for Climate Change ZartajGul was the chief guest at the final match. She also witnessed the exciting final match and appreciated the game skills of both the teams. Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Hanif Pitafi, Deputy Commissioner DG Khan Zeeshan Javed, Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Nabeel, Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Ahmed Hasan Ranjha, CEO Secondary Education Sirajud Din, Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, Divisional Sports Officer DG Khan Atta ur Rehman, Assistant Director Raees ur Rehman, Sardar Khan Senior Vice-President PVA and Secretary Punjab Volleyball Association (PVA) MB Javed were also present on this occasion. Speaking on this occasion, Minister of State for Climate Change ZartajGul congratulated the organizers for holding the Mir Chakar Azam Rind Volleyball Tournament in a successful manner. She thanked all the participating teams and officials and said that definitely it is a historic occasion for South Punjab to host such a big sports event. Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Mir Chakar Azam Rind Games are being organized in this part of the province in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. “I’m quite confident that South Punjab will gain several potential young players of volleyball, hockey and wrestling after the completion of Mir Chakar Azam Rind Games,” she added. Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti congratulated Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for winning the coveted title of Mir Chakar Azam Rind Volleyball Tournament. A large number of sports lovers including hundreds of students from various schools and colleges were also present at the venue to cheer the participating teams. They also enjoyed the exciting volleyball matches of Mir Chakar Azam Rind Games Volleyball Tournament being organized under the auspices of Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab. Meanwhile, a hockey match will be played at DG Khan on December 25, 2021 (Saturday) as part of Mir Chakar Azam Rind Games.