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CRICKET - Int News 29 Nov, 2021

Day-4: Chittagong Test: Pakistan reach close to win
Chittagong (SB Report):-A brilliant century stand for the undefeated first wicket between Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique had Pakistan on the verge of victory in the first Test against Bangladesh before fading light resulted in early stumps on the fourth day. Pakistan, chasing 202 to win the first of the two Tests, were 109 for none in 33 overs with Abid Ali, fresh from a century in the first innings, and Abdullah Shafique, who made 52 on day two, scoring solid half-centuries. This was only the second time in Pakistan’s Test history, which stretch 440 matches, that an opening pair recorded two century stands in a match. Imran Farhat and Taufiq Umer did it first time against South Africa in Lahore in 2003, when Pakistan came out victorious by eight wickets. Abid and Abdullah were unbeaten at 56 and 53 and will resume Pakistan’s pursuit of the remaining 93 runs on Tuesday. Earlier, a sizzling Shaheen Shah Afridi recorded his fourth Test five-wicket haul, which restricted Bangladesh to 157. The left-arm pacer returned five for 32, sending Liton Das (59) and Abu Jayed back in the hut after he had taken three wickets for six runs last day. Liton scored a fighting 59 off 89 to keep Bangladesh’s innings alive, after debutant Yasir Ali had to walk off the field after a scorching bouncer by Shaheen hit the flesh of his helmet. Bangladesh took Nurul Hasan Sohan as Yasir’s concussion replacement. Off-spinner Sajid Khan was also amongst the wicket takers as he accounted for Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nurul Hasan and Taijul Islam. Scores in brief: Bangladesh 330, 114.4 overs (Liton Das 114, Mushfiqur Rahim 91, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 38 not out; Hasan Ali 5-51, Faheem Ashraf 2-54, Shaheen Afridi 2-70) and 157 all out, 56.2 overs (Liton Das 59, Yasir Ali 36; Shaheen Shah Afridi 5-32, Sajid Khan 3-33) Pakistan 286 all out, 115.4 overs (Abid Ali 133, Abdullah Shafique 52, Faheem Ashraf 38; Taijul Islam 7-116, Ebadot Hossain 2-47) and 109-0, 33 overs (Abid Ali 56 not out, Abdullah Shafique 53 not out)

CRICKET - Club News 29 Nov, 2021

Shifa International XI defeat Indus XI by 55 runs
Islamabad (Sports Report):-Syed Mudassar Ahmad Bukhari, Azmat Bashir and Nasir Mehmood guided Shifa International Hospital XIs Islamabad to 55 runs victory against Indus Xls Lal Kurhti Rawalpindi in a friendly cricket match here at XI Star Cricket ground Islamabad. Shifa International Captain Qutab Uddin Qureshi won the toss and decided to bat first, Shifa International, Shifa International piled up 228 for loss of 7 wickets in the allotted 25 overs.  Batsman Azmat Bashir hit half century 65 runs 54 balls with 2 sixes and 5 fours, Nasir Mehmood scored fast half century 58 runs 30 balls with 4 sixes and 3 fours, while Ibrar Ikhlaq 31, Shahzad Kiani 26 and Captain Qutab Uddin Qureshi 22 were their leading run-getters. Indus Xl Danish (3 for 47), Faisal (2 for 30) and Inzimam (1 for 32) were the other main wicket-takers. In reply, Indus Xl could score 173 for eight in 25 overs. Inzimam (40) not out, Abdul Ahad Khurram (29) and Samad 23 were their main scorers. Syed Mudassar Ahmad Bukhari bowled well and claimed 4 players out for 26 runs in 5 overs, while Mohammad Asif (1 for 12), Ali Mubashir (1for13) and Aamir Sohail (1 for 22) bowled well for Shifa International.
Judo: Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Concludes
Abu Dhabi (SB Report):-Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Judo concluded, as the players displayed excellent skills of game to win the position in the international judo showpiece. Results: -90kg Russia Sets the Pace Russia’s Mansur Lorsanov had the merit of eliminating the first seed, Uzbek Davlat Bobonov and consolidating Russian dominance in the last tournament of the season. He did it in an unprecedented way, for the first time with poise, like wanting to say that he has come to stay. For his part, Tajikistan’s Kmoronshokh Ustopiriyon had not played for a medal since the dawn of time. At 28 it seemed that his limit was the first rounds, but in Abu Dhabi he managed to separate all his opponents and get into the fight for gold in his own right.  However, in the final he had two problems. The first was the excellent kumi-kata of the Russian who nullified his strategy, if he had one. The second was his own inaction, which earned him a hansoku-make and the truth is that it was a shame because it was his first final in 19 appearances in grand slams. For the Russian, gold was a triumphant entry into the world of the elderly. Final LORSANOV Mansur (RUS) vs USTOPIRIYON Komronshokh (TJK) Bronze Medal Contests MADZHIDOV Dzhakhongir (TJK) vs SHEROV Erlan (KGZ) DAMIER Francis (FRA) vs BOBONOV Davlat (UZB) Final Results 1. LORSANOV Mansur (RUS) 2. USTOPIRIYON Komronshokh (TJK) 3. MADZHIDOV Dzhakhongir (TJK) 3. BOBONOV Davlat (UZB) 5. SHEROV Erlan (KGZ) 5. DAMIER Francis (FRA) 7. BALANTA Francisco (COL) 7. JAYNE John (USA) -78kg The Mark on the Calendar Alina Boehm is in full transition between the junior environment and the world of the seniors. The German is part of that new generation that in this category has enormous firepower, with the world number one and current world champion Anna Maria Wagner and also Luise Malzahn. The same is true in Britain, where there is a new group of young women who are gaining ground and pushing back the old guard. To this point Natalie Powell was the best Brit at -78kg. In Abu Dhabi Emma Reid displaced her compatriot to contest the gold against Boehm. They are two judoka with similar styles, good technically and with Reid superior in ne-waza. In the golden score period Boehm attacked but the British reacted explosively, nullifying the counterattack with a movement that could be considered as ko-uchi-gari with an unorthodox grip, using a change of direction. We are sure of a few things: it was quick and nice and it was worth a gold medal for Reid and spoke to us right after the final. “I was nervous at the beginning, as I usually am before competitions, but today I felt more structured in my fights. I went through what we’ve been practising at home and that hard work gave me the confidence to go all the way.” Final BOEHM Alina (GER) vs REID Emma (GBR) Bronze Medal Contests POWELL Natalie (GBR) vs TURCHYN Anastasiya (UKR) LANIR Inbar (ISR) vs BROLIH Patricija (SLO) Final Results 1. REID Emma (GBR) 2. BOEHM Alina (GER) 3. POWELL Natalie (GBR) 3. LANIR Inbar (ISR) 5. TURCHYN Anastasiya (UKR) 5. BROLIH Patricija (SLO) 7. DUDENAITE Migle (LTU) 7. BABINTSEVA Aleksandra (RUS) -100kg Third of a Kind Arman Adamian and Matvey Kanikovskiy neutralised an entire battalion of elite troops in the always tricky –100kg category. It is true that Adamian was the favourite, but it is no less true that he had to face Belgian Toma Nikiforov, who has been on the rise since he recovered from a serious injury. Nikiforov may be fearsome, but today Adamian is out of Nikiforov’s reach. A special mention for Kanikovskiy because he got rid of the French Alezandre Iddir, the Dutch Michael Korrel and the Canadian Shady Elnahas, that is, the past, present and future of judo. None of them could stop the Russian. Adamian dominated and baby-faced Kanikovskiy fought back until he couldn't take it anymore and suffered in his flesh that which began as ko-soto-gake and ended as ura-nage. Adamian ends the year with three consecutive victories, in Zagreb, Paris and Abu Dhabi and the leadership of the category. He is only 24 years old and he is already a prodigious judoka. “I had to win this medal. I couldn’t take part in the Olympics and I had to prove that I should continue towards the next Games. I won the last three tournaments I took part in and I will work hard to be in Paris in 2024,” declared Adamian. Final ADAMIAN Arman (RUS) vs KANIKOVSKIY Matvey (RUS) Bronze Medal Contests PETERSILKA Falk (GER) vs ELNAHAS Shady (CAN) KORREL Michael (NED) vs NIKIFOROV Toma (BEL) Final Results 1. ADAMIAN Arman (RUS) 2. KANIKOVSKIY Matvey (RUS) 3. ELNAHAS Shady (CAN) 3. KORREL Michael (NED) 5. PETERSILKA Falk (GER) 5. NIKIFOROV Toma (BEL) 7. KHUDOYBERDIEV Aklmurodbek (UZB)

TENNIS - National 29 Nov, 2021

Davis Cup: Russians knock out defending champions
Madrid, Spain (SB Report):-Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev spoiled Spain’s party as they came back from a set down to defeat Marcel Granollers and Feliciano Lopez 46, 62, 64 in front of a capacity crowd at the Madrid Arena on Sunday night The victory puts Russian Tennis Federation top of Group A and secures a last eight clash against Sweden on Thursday for Shamil Tarpischev’s team. Spain, meanwhile, has been eliminated and attention will turn to qualifying for the 2022 edition. As the clock struck 00:40 in the Spanish capital, Karatsev steered a backhand winner down the line much to the delight of his partner, Rublev, who stretched out his arms to hug his teammate. “We are really happy to be in the quarters,” Rublev said after the match. “We are going to do our best to go further. Two years ago we were in the semi-finals so we’ll see if we can do this result but, for sure, every player from us is giving 100 per cent so that’s the most important thing.” Karatsev added: “Thank you to everyone who came to support. It was a good atmosphere.” There was little to separate the two teams in the opening set. Spain notched the only break when Lopez drilled a huge forehand return deep into the tramlines. And it was that man Lopez again who served out the set when Rublev blasted a return long. The Russian team broke their opponents twice in the second set, which meant they served first going into the decider. Karatsev, in particular, applied pressure on his opponent’s serve with some pinpoint accuracy on the return and, despite the crowd trying to help the home side in the latter stages of the final set, the Russians upped their intensity and broke to claim the win. In the opening match of the tie, Lopez bounced back from a slow start to stun Rublev 26, 63, 64. The Spaniard made a mockery of both his ranking and his age as he put on a vintage display of attacking tennis to hand Spain an unlikely advantage against one of the hot favourites for the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals title. Separated in ranking by 101 points and in age by 16 years, Lopez played a stereotypical game of two halves. In the opening set, the Spaniard hit just 42% of his first serves, but some inspirational net play and his powerful lefty serve proved to be the difference in sets two and three. “This is over any expectation to be honest,” said Lopez. “For me it was already amazing to be here representing my country at 40 years old. I didn’t expect to be the one playing the singles and I had to take that role. Honestly, today, playing against Andrey, No.5 in the world, at this stage of my career in my home town, this is over any expectations!” Broken in the very first game of the match and again after a pair of double faults at 1-4, it looked as though Lopez wasn’t going to trouble the world No.5 but how wrong that proved to be.  The 40-year-old began to find his groove in the second set. It was a sensational point at 15-15 with Rublev serving at 2-3 that seemed to galvanize the Spaniard. Lopez bided his time to approach the net and put away a beautiful crosscourt volley. He went on to break the Russian and then proceeded to come through a long seventh game, with four deuces, to hold for a 5-2 lead. Honestly, today, playing against Andrey, No.5 in the world, at this stage of my career in my home town, this is over any expectations A huge ace out wide to clinch the second set was enough to raise the roof in the Madrid Arena and suddenly, out of nowhere, the pressure was back on the 24-year-old Russian. And it was Lopez who seized the early initiative in the final set after a loose third game by Rublev saw the Spaniard break for a 2-1 lead. With the crowd behind him, Lopez never looked back. He served with clinical precision to put himself within a game of the finish line. When two match points came and went on the Rublev serve and when he was forced to save a break point on his own serve, it looked like there might be one more twist in the tale of this match. But Lopez had other ideas. He fired down an unreturnable serve out wide before soaking up the applause from a jubilant home crowd. Rublev was honest in his appraisal of the match, giving the credit to his opponent. “Basically, the way Feli was playing in the first set is something, like, normal,” he explained. “And then the way he started to play in the second and third set, it's something that happens to him not really often. “Every time he's playing here in Madrid, he's giving his best. He's super focused. He's controlling his emotions. He's giving his best every point. That's what he was doing today, and he was playing amazing. He deserved to win.” Daniil Medvedev then kept his team in contention for the win when he overcame Pablo Carreno 62, 76(3) in just under an hour-and-a-half. The world No.2 showed why he has become one of the dominant forces in men’s tennis with some scintillating shot-making, but the victory wasn’t without its challenges. Medvedev needed just 26 minutes to take the opening set and in so doing ensured that the buoyant home crowd that had been so vocal earlier in the tie, had nothing to cheer about. Carreno started to play more aggressive tennis at the start of the second set and was rewarded for his efforts with a break and a 3-0 led. But Medvedev came roaring back, reeling off five games in a row as he showed an effortless ability to take his tennis to the next level. Carreno refused to go down without a fight and, feeding off the crowd, he broke back after a series of gruelling rallies to force a tiebreak. Once again, Medvedev produced some incredible shots as he raced to a 5-0 lead in the breaker before sealing the win with an ace out wide.  “Everybody is super happy,” he said. “Because that's how we all are in the team, all five players. I think, if I'm not mistaken, we needed to win just one game to be through. Yet we won a match, and that's all you need to know about us. “We want to win, no matter if it's an exhibition match, a match that doesn't count maybe for the tie, or an important match. Our goal is to win. I think it's very important for the confidence of the team to win against such team as Spain. Even if they didn't have their best line-up, they are playing at home, and to beat them means a lot.”

HOCKEY - Int News 29 Nov, 2021

Junior Hockey World Cup: Spain and Germany end pools on top
Islamabad (Sports Desk):-The last day of action in the pool matches of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup produced more high scores and a memorable battle for the remaining place in the final eight between Pakistan and Argentina. The pool stages were brought to a conclusion with Germany showing their class with an exhibition of attacking, creative hockey against Egypt. The competition so far has been notable for the high number of goals being scored in each match. Topping the goal scoring table at this point of the competition is Miles Bukkens of the Netherlands with 11 goals. Timothee Clement and Sanjay of France and India respectively are in second place with eight goals apiece. Korea 0-9 Spain (Pool C) It was a relatively quiet first quarter as both teams took time to settle into the match, but a goal from Guillermo Fortuno; the result of a nicely flowing passage of play gave Spain the advantage going into the first break. This seemed to galvanise the European side and goals then followed in rapid succession. There were two goals apiece for Ignacio Abajo, Pepe Cunill and Pau Cunill, with Eduard de Ignacio-Simo and Rafael Vilallonga completing the rout. Speaking after the match, goal scorer and Player of the Match Ignacio Abajo said: “Our first objective was to qualify for the quarter finals. Looking at our performances in the pool stage, we had two easy matches, where we knew we had to score a lot of goals. Then the match against the Netherlands was really tough. [Today] our first half was very bad, the second one really good. So now we have to keep going.” Spain finished second in Pool C, behind Netherlands, and so will face Germany in the quarter-finals. Korea will face Egypt in the classification matches. Talking after the match, Korea’s Team Manager Yoo Moon Ki, said: “It was a very hard match today, especially physically. In this pool, we won one match and lost twice. Our players have gained a lot of experience. We will continue to do our best until the last match and the players will keep great memories from this tournament.” Netherlands 14-0 USA (Pool C) Miles Bukkens continued to wow the hockey world with another consummate display of attacking hockey. His five-goal haul included four scored from open play, demonstrating his unerring instinct for the target. There were also hat-tricks for Brent van Bijnen and Luke Dommershuijzen as Netherlands swept away the determined, but sometimes naive, challenge of the USA team. The results mean that Netherlands top Pool C and will meet Argentina, while USA will be facing Pakistan. A buoyant Player of the Match Miles Bukkens said he felt the team had performed well in all the pool games and was pleased that they had conceded no goals so far. “We didn’t concede any goal again today. Scoring five goals today is perfect for me. My confidence is very high right now. I look forward to the quarter finals. We will work very hard, create a lot of chances and score many goals. We will win it.” Jatin Sharma of the USA said: “Coming in, we knew that Holland was a really tough opponent. In the first half, I think we were there. Then, we were a little bit down. But still we had to try, no matter what. We need to play with that fight throughout the whole game. If we do that, we can get some results.” Pakistan 2-4 Argentina (Pool D) Argentina booked their place in the final eight with a tensely played victory over Pakistan. The game was high tempo and high quality with plenty of creative play on display, but it was the South American side who prevailed and made the most of their opportunities. Argentina opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Bautista Capurro, and then it was goal for goal until Ignacio Ibarra put a fourth, decisive goal past Pakistan’s goalkeeper Waqar. The result means Argentina take second place in Pool D and will face Netherlands in the quarter finals. Pakistan will play the USA in the classification matches. Argentina’s Mateo Fernandez, who was voted Player of the Match, said: “I had expected a team that would be playing quite direct and attacking hockey, as they did. [For our next match] the Netherlands are also a team who will give everything to win the match. I think we have to play clever and also look for the win.” Pakistan gave their all in this game, a point emphasised by Abdul Rana in a post-match interview: “We are sad that we lost and didn’t qualify for the quarter finals but this is not the end. You will see, Pakistan hockey will rise back, and soon. We have youngsters here with no international experience, but the way they played today, we see there is capacity. We’ll learn from our mistakes. We’ll bounce back soon.” Germany 11 - 0 Egypt (Pool D) Having watched Argentina take all three points in the previous game, Germany knew they had to win their final pool match to ensure a top spot finish in Pool D. Head Coach Johannes Schmitz will be pleased by the way his team responded to the challenge as a fluid team performance saw the ball fly into the Egyptian net seven times before half time and a further four times to make the final score a convincing 11-0. Benedikt Schwarzhaupt continued his fine tournament with two goals – impressive penalty corner shots that both flew high past the goal keeper Mahmoud Saleem. Masi Pfandt, Matteo Poljaric and Player of the Match Michel Struthoff also scored twice and Schmitz will be pleased to see seven different players on the score sheet. Despite the scoreline, mention should be made of Egypt’s goalkeeper Saleem, who made courageous saves to break down several German attacks. Germany’s Michel Struthhoff was Player of the Match, scoring two classy goals for his team. Speaking after the game he said: “Overall we did a good job. We had some tough moments but overall we did a good job. We will be playing Spain. This will be a good game against a good team. Now we will have a rest and do some preparatory meetings and we will be ready.” Egypt’s Head Coach Abu-Talib Maggid said: “First of all, one part of the tournament is now done. Now we have another tournament of three games and we will take that one game at a time. We have learnt a lot because it was a tough pool and that is where you learn from the hard lessons. “In the next matches, we need to be clever at keeping the ball and if we play smarter and reduce unforced errors then we will have different results.” Egypt will play against Korea in the classification matches, while Germany will face Spain in the quarter-finals on Wednesday 1 December. The Junior World Cup action continues on Tuesday (30 November) with the first set of classification matches to decide 9-16th place being played. South Africa (3rd place Pool A) take on Canada (4th place Pool B) in the first match of the day at 10:30 Indian Standard Time (UTC +05.30). Then Pakistan (3rd Pool D) face USA (4th Pool C) at 13:30 before Poland (3rd Pool B) take on Chile (4th Pool A) at 16:30. The final match of the day sees Korea (3rd Pool C) face Egypt (4th Pool D) at 19:30. Quarter final action takes place on Wednesday 1 December when Germany will play Spain at 10:30; Netherlands face Argentina at 13:30; France versus Malaysia at 16:30; and Belgium will play India at 19:30. Results (Day-5): Korea 0-9 Spain (Pool C) Player of the Match: Ignacio Abajo (ESP) Netherlands 14-0 USA (Pool C) Player of the Match: Miles Bukkens (NED) Pakistan 3-4 Argentina (Pool D) Player of the Match: Mateo Fernandez (ARG) Germany 11-0 Egypt (Pool D) Player of the Match: Michel Struhoff (GER)

HOCKEY - Int News 28 Nov, 2021

Warmerdam strike gives Netherlands shock victory over Belgium
Lausanne, Switzerland (SB Report):-The Netherlands men earned a superb 2-1 victory over reigning Olympic, World and FIH Hockey Pro League champions Belgium on Sunday afternoon, giving the Dutch five points from a maximum six from their two encounters with the Red Lions in recent days. After claiming two points courtesy of a draw and a bonus point winning shoot-out success on Friday in Amstelveen (NED), the Oranje snatched all three points in their second clash thanks to first quarter field goals from Thijs Van Dam and Dennis Warmerdam, as Jeroen Delmee’s talented but inexperienced side triumphed over the top ranked team in world hockey. Van Dam fired into the roof of Belgian shot-stopper Loic Van Doren’s goal after just three minutes, with Warmerdam – who has made a stunning return to international hockey at the age of 27 after overcoming a rare form of cancer – doubling the Dutch advantage with a close-range poacher’s goal just three minutes later. With two times FIH Player of the Year Arthur Van Doren missing through injury, Belgium’s defence looked more frail than usual, with the Oranje being well worth their two-goal lead. The hosts would have been further ahead were it not for a trio of excellent saves from Arthur Van Doren’s younger brother Loic, who kept the Red Lions very much in the contest before Alexander Hendrickx pulled a goal back before half time. Belgium stepped up their game considerably in the third and fourth quarters but found clear-cut scoring opportunities difficult to come by thanks to some excellent Dutch defending. When the Red Lions did get their shots away, Netherlands goalkeeper Derk Meijer produced the goods in a debut to remember, most notably by denying the prolific Hendrickx with a wonderful stick save to tip a low penalty corner drag-flick around his right post.  The Red Lions pushed hard in the final quarter, but the Dutch held on for a fine victory that will give great confidence to this youthful but extremely gifted group of players. “I’m really proud”, said Netherlands captain Thierry Brinkman, who was named Player of the Match for the second time in three days. “Two very good games from our squad this weekend against what I think is still the best team in the world, so I’m really proud. "We need to put a lot of energy in our game, not just for one or two quarters but for a full 60 minutes. Every second counts in international hockey. I think that is the most important thing from this weekend.” FIH Hockey Pro League Sunday 28 November 2021 – Amstelveen (NED) Netherlands 2-1 Belgium – [Match 2 of 2] Player of the Match: Thierry Brinkman (C – NED) Umpires: Bruce Bale (ENG), Christian Blasch (GER) & Ben Goentgen (GER – Video)

HOCKEY - Int News 28 Nov, 2021

World Junior Hockey: Argentina overcome Pakistan 4-3
Islamabad (Sports Desk):-Argentina ousted Pakistan 4-3 goals after a tough and thrilling match and qualified for the quarterfinals after brushing aside to Green Shirts in the World Junior Hockey Cup played at Bhubaneswar, India on Sunday under the auspices of International Hockey Federation (FIH). Bautista scored a field goal in the 10th minute of the game. In the 17th minute of the game for Pakistan, captain Rana Abdul Waheed ended the lead by scoring on a beautiful pass from his teammate Rizwan Ali on a penalty corner. Later, in the 20th minute of the game for Argentina, the player Ignacio scored a field goal and once again got the lead of Argentina. In the 28th minute of the game, Pakistan got a penalty stroke against Argentina. Taking advantage of this, Pakistan Junior's promising drag flicker Rizwan Ali scored a goal and once again pulled Pakistan out of the deficit of one goal and the score of the match was tied at that time by 2-2. In the closing moments of the second quarter, Argentina's Francisco scored the third goal through a field goal, giving Argentina the lead in the game once again Argentina's Ignacio once again consolidated the lead by scoring a field goal. In the 53rd minute of the game, player Aqeel Ahmed scored the third goal for Pakistan by scoring a goal on the beautiful pass of his teammate Roman on the penalty corner. The score remained 4-3 till the end of the match. Argentina succeeded in reaching the quarterfinals. Pakistan finished third in Pool D. In the next match for event ranking, Pakistan will be competing with USA for event ranking. The match between Pakistan and USA will be played on November 30 at 1:00 PM Pakistan time.

CRICKET - Int News 28 Nov, 2021

Pakistan Vs Bangladesh Test (Day-3): Afridi leaves Bangladesh limping
Chittagong (SB Report):-A searing opening spell from Shaheen Shah Afridi left Bangladesh ruing a squandered opportunity to build on the first innings lead as the hosts, batting for the second time in the match, finished the third day of the first Test against Pakistan on 39 for four. Shaheen struck in the fifth over and sent Shadman Islam and Najmul Hasan Shanto packing in space of three balls before Hasan Ali got the Bangladesh skipper, Mominul Haque, in the next over as the hosts found themselves reduced to 15 for three in just two overs. Soon, a scorching bouncer from Shaheen induced a caught and bowled opportunity that the pacer grabbed safely as Saif Hasan walked back to the pavilion with the scoreboard reading 25 for four. This was his 42nd scalp in 2021 – the most in the year for a bowler. Bangladesh were 44 runs ahead Pakistan after the tourists were bowled out for 286 and as such have an 83-run lead. Experienced Mushfiqur Rahim and debutant Yasir Ali will resume the proceedings for the hosts on the fourth day, Monday. Earlier, left-arm orthodox Taijul Islam recorded the best figures for a Bangladesh bowler against Pakistan in Tests as he returned seven for 116. Pakistan, after resuming the day on 145 for none, had to face early blows as Abdullah Shafiq (52) and Azhar Ali (0) were trapped LBW in consecutive balls by Taijul. Soon, Pakistan captain Babar Azam (10) followed them, but Abid Ali remained undeterred as he went on to convert his overnight 93 into 133 to record his fourth Test century. This was also his fourth first-class century in the last five matches. With the wickets tumbling regularly, Fahim Ashraf delayed the inevitable with his steady 80-ball 38. He was the last batter to be dismissed. Scores in brief: Bangladesh 330, 114.4 overs (Liton Das 114, Mushfiqur Rahim 91, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 38 not out; Hasan Ali 5-51, Faheem Ashraf 2-54, Shaheen Afridi 2-70) and 39-4, 19 overs (Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-6) Pakistan 286 all out, 115.4 overs (Abid Ali 133, Abdullah Shafique 52, Faheem Ashraf 38; Taijul Islam 7-116, Ebadot Hossain 2-47)

TENNIS - National 28 Nov, 2021

ITC Tennis League 2021: Yawar and Ayesha win positions
Islamabad (Sports Report):-On the final day of the ITC Tennis League, as many as 30 matches were played and determined their position of the different categories competitions. The prize distribution ceremony of the ITC Tennis League will be organized at the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed National Tennis Championships starting from 13th December 2021. Results (Finals): Boys & Girls Over-16 (Round Robin) Yawar Ali Bt Abdullah 5-0; Abdul Wasay Bt AmmarMasood 5-3; Yawar Ali Bt Yameen Mughal 5-3; Abdullah Bt Hamza UlZuhair 5-0; Umer Masood Bt AzeenaAleem 5-2; Yameen Mughal Bt SaharAleem 5-2; Azeena Aleem Bt Hamza Ul Zuhair 5-2; Yawar Ali Bt Hamza Ul Zuhair 5-0; Haziq Aasim Bt Abdullah 5-2; Abdullah Bt Sameer Kiyani 6-4; Sameer Kiyani Bt Abdul Wasay 5-1; Umer Masood Bt Yameen Mughal 6-4; Yawar Ali Bt Sahar Aleem 5-3; Ammar Masood Bt Hamza Ul Zuhair 5-2; Umer Masood Bt Abdul Wasay 5-2; Yawar Ali Bt Abdul Wasay 5-0; Ammar Masood Bt Azeena Aleem 5-0; Haziq Aasim Bt Ammar Masood 5-2; Haziq Aasim Bt Yameen Mughal 5-2; Umer Masood Bt Hamza UL Zuhair 5-1; Yawar Ali Bt Ammar Masood 5-0; Umer Masood Bt Haziq Aasim 5-3; Positions 1. Yawar 2. UmerMasood 3. Abdullah U-14 BOYS (Round Robin) Abdul WasayBtAmmarMasood 5-3; Positions 1. Hassan Usmani 2. Abdul wasay 3. AmmarMasood Under-10 Boys & Girls (Round Robin) Ayesha Masood Bt AmnaMaqsood 4-1; Amir Masood Bt Fatima Maqsood 4-0; Ayesha Masood Bt Fatima Maqsood 4-0; Amir Masood Bt AmnaMaqsood 4-0; Wishal Arshad Bt Fatima Maqsood 4-1; Wishal Bt Amna Maqsood 4-2; Amir Masood Bt Wishal Arshad 4-2; Amir Masood Bt Arshman Maqsood 4-0; Ayesha Masood Bt Amna Maqsood 4-0; Positions 1. Ayesha Masood 2. Aamir Masood 3. ArshmanMaqsood Under-12 Boys & Girls (Round Robin) Hassan Usmani Bt UzairMaqsood 5-0 Positions 1. Hassan Usmani 2. UzairMaqsood    

HOCKEY - Int News 28 Nov, 2021

Junior Hockey World Cup: France cement top spot
Islamabad (Sports Desk):- In the penultimate day of pool matches, Pakistan kept their hopes of a place in the last eight alive with a win against Egypt. The Pakistan team must now defeat Argentina if they are to finish in the top two in Pool D. France continued their fine form making it three wins from three matches with a convincing victory over Canada. South African hearts were broken when Malaysia snatched the win with just three minutes left on the clock. The final two matches of Day Four set the scene for the final eight when Belgium sealed top spot in Pool A, meaning they will meet India in the next round. The host nation beat Poland in the final match of the day to finish second in Pool B. The encounter will be a repeat of the 2016 Junior World Cup, where India beat Belgium to become Junior World Champions. Pakistan 3-1 Egypt (Pool D) Three goals for Ali Rizwan kept Pakistan’s hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals alive as they beat Egypt 3-1 in the opening match of the day. The penalty corner specialist hit his stride in the 19th minute and then fired in two more in the third and fourth quarter to give Pakistan their first win of the competition. Egypt rallied with a fine goal from Hussein Awad, but the Asian team pressed on to take the all-important points. With Germany already qualified from Pool D, Pakistan now will face a must-win final match against Argentina, with both teams needing a win to qualify for the final eight. Pakistan’s Moin Shakeel, who was Player of the Match, was quick to point out the benefits of a good penalty corner routine. “Our coaches had asked us to take the short corners and we have the plus point in the short corners. We did it in the second half, so we got opportunities and we scored the goals. Now we are focusing on our next game, targeting that we have to win it to qualify for the quarter finals. This is our opportunity to get goal scoring and get the ball possession. We will play like this again against Argentina.” “I’m very proud of my teammates, said a reflective Mahmoud Seleem of Egypt. “They tried their best. They fought well. Today we were in better spirits. We tried to do efforts as a team, as one unit, and that showed a different story from two days ago.” France 11-1 Canada (Pool D) France continued their impressive progress through the competition with a convincing win over Canada. The French, under the guidance of Head Coach Aymeric Bergamo, have been nothing short of sublime as they have won three from three to secure a place in the quarter-finals. In this performance, they took the game to Canada, playing a high tempo game which only slipped slightly in the third quarter, when Canada were able to pounce on some sloppy play to score through Sean Davis. Speaking after the match, Player of the Match Antonin Igau said: “We played very well throughout the pool stage. So, we are very happy. Clinching the top spot of the pool is really hard, especially with India in the same pool. We’re very proud of this performance. Winning against India is always amazing, and even more so in India. So, for sure, this has given us confidence for the rest of the tournament." For Canada, coming to terms with three losses is tough but Christopher Tardif was philosophical about the result: “Looking at our pool stage matches, I think we did some good things but also some bad things. Our best performance is yet to come. Not a lot of our guys have international experience so there is so much that we’ve learnt such as the speed of the game, the fitness component, just much more. So, when we go back, we’ll become better hockey players and can play at the international level.” South Africa 3-4 Malaysia (Pool A) Malaysia secured a place in the last eight after a nail-biting encounter with South Africa. Malaysia took the lead in the 29th minute through Muhammad Khalid only to see South Africa bounce back just after half-time through captain Guy Morgan. The Asian side took the lead again in the 41st minute only to see two quick goals from Jared Campbell give the lead to the African contenders. Three yellow cards in the final quarter indicate the fiercely competitive nature of this game. Eventually, hero of the day for Malaysia was captain Akhimullah Anuar who put away a penalty corner to snatch the lead and put his team into the quarter-finals. Player of the match was Malaysia’s Kamarulzaman Kamaruddin. He said: “I’m very happy. My teammates and my coaches gave 100 per cent and give the spirit of the team. We fought all together. We fought for every ball, for everything in this match and so we managed to win. South Africa’s captain, Guy Morgan, said: “First, congratulations to Malaysia. But I think we let ourselves down today, especially with cards at the end. We had so many opportunities. We controlled the majority of the game. That’s fairly frustrating.” Belgium 3-0 Chile (Pool A) Belgium came into this match determined to seal a first place finish in Pool A and Lucas Putters answered that particular demand with a well taken goal in the third minute. Player of the Match Thibeau Stockbroekx doubled the lead just before half-time and Nelson Onana sealed it with a third in the 48th minute. The result means that Belgium finish top of Pool A, ahead of Malaysia on goal difference and will meet India in the quarter-finals. Reflecting on both today’s game and the next challenge, Belgium’s Thibeau Stockbroekx said: “We came here for the first spot in the pool. It was difficult but I think we did the right things. Today was a hard game for us. Really good defending from our opponents, so it’s difficult to score goals but we did manage. It’s always nice to play India here. I think it will be a really good opportunity for us to show our best level and see where we’re at.” The result means Chile finished in fourth place in Pool A and will meet Poland in their classification match. Nicolás Abujatum said his side were learning with every match: "I think we have had a pretty good evolution during the tournament. At the start we had to get into the rhythm, but I think we ended up playing a very good match against Belgium. We have to keep working on where we are failing, namely the short corners. “We haven’t accomplished our first goal which was to be in the top eight but we will keep on trying, set ourselves a new goal and finish as high as possible. It was a very good match to prepare for what is coming.” India 8-2 Poland (Pool B) The reigning champions and host nation overcame a determined and challenging Polish team to book their place in the final eight. Despite a scoreline of 8-2, this wasn’t an easy game for India and a number of yellow cards in the second half may concern Head Coach Graham Reid. That said, it was an energetic performance with goals flying past Maciej Wieczorek in the Poland goal with regularity. Sanjay, who has enjoyed a fine competition so far, opened the scoring in the fourth minute and added to his talk in the 58th minute. Player of the Match Sudeep Chirmako also got among the scoring players with a double. For their part, Poland will be left rueing a number of missed chances, something their captain Gracjan Jarzynski emphasised in the post-match interview: “The problem for our team is scoring from penalty corners, we should have scored more goals. We made simple mistakes in defence, but we also made lots of opportunities to score. “Now we have two days which gives us time to look at penalty corners and improve things. We have time to prepare and train for the next match against Chile. We will try to surprise them.” Player of the Match Sudeep Chirmako said: “This was an important match for us because we had lost one match but we executed well today. Regarding the quarter-finals [against Belgium], it is very important as it is elimination. But we have a plan and we will try to execute it.” The Junior World Cup action continues on Sunday (27 November) with the final four matches being played. While the final placings in Pool A and B are settled, there remains unsettled business in the remaining two pools. Korea take on Spain in Pool C in the first match of the day at 12:00. Indian Standard Time (UTC +05.30). The Netherlands then face USA, also in Pool C at 14:30. The Dutch must win this match to ensure they top the pool, because a loss – and a win for Spain – could see Spain overhaul them on goal difference. This is followed by an all-important match between Pakistan and Argentina in Pool D at 17:00. The winner of this game will take the second qualification spot behind Germany. The final pool match sees Germany versus Egypt in Pool D at 19:30. Results (Day-4) Pakistan 3-1 Egypt (Pool D) Player of the Match: Moin Shakeel (PAK) France 11-1 Canada (Pool D) Player of the Match: Antonin Igau (FRA) South Africa 3-4 Malaysia (Pool C) Player of the Match: Kamarulzaman Kamaruddin (MAS) Belgium 3-0 Chile (Pool A) Player of the Match: Thibeau Stockbroekx (BEL) India 8-2 Poland (Pool A) Player of the Match: Sudeep Chirmako (IND).
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