Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 20, 2021):-Mujtaba Ali Khan from USA has won the title of ITF Pakistan, ITA-Midcourt International Juniors Tennis Championship after beating Russian lad Amir Asylkozhaev, who was second seed,  in straight sets 2-0 in the Boys’ Singles final at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad on Saturday. The final score-line was 7-6 and 6-2. In the first set, Mujtaba Ali Khan (USA) was downed 0-5 after wasting three game points in 3rd game, as his opponent was too good in forehand drives. Mujtaba won the 6th game and bounced back in the crucial match. After breaking the love score, Mujtaba played a top quality game and did not allow his challenger to win the set. He broke the 7th and 9th service of the Russian player and leveled the set score 5-5 after holding the service in 10th game of the first set. Khan had a chance to finish the set at 7-5 when he broke the service of Amir in the 11th game but failed to maintain his pace in the 12th game that he wasted. At set-break Mujtaba finished at 7-3 and got a vital lead in the final. Later, in the second set, both players took the start with confidence but Amir was good and earned the early lead 2-0 after breaking the opponent's serve in the first game. After going down 0-2, Mujtaba Ali once again came back in the match from behind and leveled the set 2-2. At this stage, the winning guy showed his full power and played an excellent game of tennis and amused the spectators. He used his great services and played powerful forehand and backhand drives from base-line and finished the set at 6-2. Amir could not get a solitary point in the 5th, 6th and 7th games, as that finished 40-0. “I am happy with my performance and I was not well settled in the first set in which I went down 0-5 but I was trying to win at least a single game in the first set. After winning the first game I got the command in the match. The first set win encouraged me a lot. My service was good as compared to Amir. He is also a good player. I had to toil hard in the court to overcome him in the final, “Mujtaba Ali Khan said while talking to www.sports-bulletin.com after the match. Earlier, in the morning session, in the Girls’ Singles final, Taylor Goetz Taylor from USA beat Abhilasha Bista from Nepal in straight sets 2-0. The winner conceded only a single game in the two sets. Col. Gul Rehman (Retd) Secretary Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) distributed the prizes among the winners and runner ups.  

Sports Bulletin Report DUBAHI (November 20, 2021):-The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021 supported by Dream 11 gets underway in Harare on Sunday with more at stake than just sealing places in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand. Apart from the three sides who will join the five who have already qualified for the World Cup, two others will also clinch places in the next ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) along with the top five from last time, as the number of teams in the third cycle of the IWC goes up from eight to 10. If teams like India and South Africa had figured in the 2017 Qualifier in Colombo, the nine-team tournament this time includes former T20 World Champions the West Indies (in Group A along with Sri Lanka, Ireland and the Netherlands) and World Cup regulars Pakistan (in Group B along with Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe and the United States). The final placings will be decided in a Super Six stage comprising three teams each advancing from the two groups. The teams making it to this round will carry over points gained in the preliminary league against other teams that advance to the Super Six stage. West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor looked forward to the tournament while exuding confidence on the back of an impressive 3-0 series victory over Pakistan this month. West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor: “We’re definitely looking forward to kickstarting the Qualifiers. The expectations are pretty high for us to finish number one or at least in the top three and be one of the eight teams in New Zealand next year. With that being said, we’re not taking any team for granted.  We’re going to go out there and play our best cricket. “I believe the all-round ability of our team is our strength, our batting is peaking at a good time heading into the Qualifiers, which was exemplified with two centuries in the recent series against Pakistan. Our bowlers are showing that they can defend the scores posted by the batters. So, we are looking forward to a competitive but enjoyable tournament.” Zimbabwe captain Mary-Anne Musonda, on the other hand, spoke for teams eyeing places in the IWC, which ensures exposure against top sides over the next three-year cycle. Zimbabwe captain Mary-Anne Musonda: “These qualifiers are very important for us. We have got a shot at qualifying for the World Cup, which is a very big platform and something that we want, and the opportunity of finishing in the top five, which will mean we will have tours as part of the ICC Women’s Championship. That would be good for our team - getting to play top sides. “Hosting (this event) is such a great thing for us - home conditions and fans cheering for us! We have a fair chance of making it to the top five and fighting through to get to the top three. We are hoping to start by winning our two games in Group B, aiming to take it one game at a time and hope for the best in the end. We have a good mix of youth and experience in our side.” Zimbabwe will play against Thailand on the opening day at Harare Sports Club while Bangladesh and Pakistan play at the Old Hararians Club simultaneously.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 20, 2021):-The draw for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ intercontinental play-offs will be held in Zurich, Switzerland, on Friday, 26 November 2021. The fixtures that will determine who plays who between the AFC, Concacaf, CONMEBOL and the OFC in the contest for the last two spots at football’s flagship global event will be decided after the European play-off draw, which will start at 17:00 CET. Both draws will be streamed live on FIFA.com for all territories. Following the draw, a dramatic conclusion to the FIFA World Cup 2022 preliminary competition looms with the two intercontinental play-off matches to take place over a single leg on 13 and 14 June 2022. The play-offs were originally scheduled to take place in March 2022 but were rescheduled to June 2022 as a result of the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the scheduling of FIFA World Cup qualifiers globally. Four years ago, Australia and Peru secured passage to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ via the intercontinental play-offs with wins over Honduras and New Zealand respectively.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 20, 2021):-Feature-length documentary film ‘The Wall - Climb for Gold’ made its global premiere in New York City, USA, last night, with Olympian and protagonist Brooke Raboutou and Debra Gawrych, International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Secretary General, in attendance. The film follows four of Sport Climbing’s first female Olympians on their journey to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the sport made its Olympic debut earlier this year. In the two years approaching the Games, the athletes battle through Olympic qualifying events, face an intense season of competitions and training, before having their dreams and plans put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic forces the postponement of the Olympics. Providing an intimate portrait into the lives of Great Britain’s Shauna Coxsey, Japan’s Miho Nonaka, Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret, and the USA’s Brooke Raboutou, the documentary reveals inspiring insight into what it means to be a climber, an Olympian, and ultimately, what it means to be human. With six World Championship titles and 31 IFSC World Cup gold medals under her belt, Slovenian Sport Climbing sensation Janja Garnbret is one of the most decorated climbers to date, aged just 22. After making history in 2019 by sweeping the entire IFSC Boulder World Cup season, the Slovenian broke another barrier in 2021, becoming one of the first Olympic gold medallists in Sport Climbing alongside Spain’s Alberto Gine?s Lo?pez. Garnbret’s superpower is performing well under pressure, remembering to be present in the moment and enjoy the climb. Competing on home soil at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 2018 IFSC Boulder World Cup Champion Miho Nonaka fought to overcome the added pressure of representing her country in her home city, climbing onto the second step of the Olympic podium with a silver medal. One of Sport Climbing’s youngest Olympians competing in Tokyo, Brooke Raboutou balances training with university studies. Born into a family of climbing legends, with her mother Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and father Didier Raboutou taking numerous IFSC World Cup titles in the 1990’s, Brooke hopes to continue the family success. Produced by award-winning production company Windfall Films, part of the Argonon group, ‘The Wall – Climb for Gold’ is executive produced by Dan Kendall, directed by Nick Hardie, includes a score by multi-award-winning composer Nainita Desai, and is edited by Emily West. The film features footage shot at IFSC competitions during the last two years, with IFSC Secretary General Debra Gawrych and Marco Vettoretti, IFSC Head of Communications, receiving thanks in the credits. Attending the global premiere in New York City, USA, IFSC Secretary General Debra Gawrych said: “It was a fantastic evening and Brooke was the shining star of the event. I believe the film will catapult our sport to new heights with spectators all over the world.  It shows how hard these four women worked, how they had to work through failures and then succeed – if not to win the gold or podium, even to succeed in life.  It shows the support of their families and is beautiful from a cinematic aspect as well. I was blown away.” Star of the film Brooke Raboutou attended the premiere alongside family-members Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, Didier Raboutou, and Shawn Raboutou.  IFSC Routesetter Chris Danielson and former athlete Angela Payne were also present at the documentary’s debut screening. Next on the premiere tour is Kendal Mountain Festival in Kendal, Great Britain, where Shauna Coxsey, Olympian and IFSC Athletes’ Commission President, will host a question-and-answer session this weekend following the film’s second public screening.  The full list of premiere dates and locations is as follows: 20 November - Kendal (GBR), Kendal Mountain Festival, ft. Q&A with Shauna Coxsey 25 November – Tokyo (JPN), Ikebukuro Humax, ft. Q&A with Miho Nonaka 30 November – Nuremburg (GER), Café Kraft 2 December – Munich (GER), Filmtheater Sendlinger Tor 8 December – Ljubljana (SLO), Cukrarna Gallery

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland (November 20, 2021):-The last FIH Hockey Pro League matches of 2021 are set to take place on Friday 26 and Sunday 28 November and judging from previous encounters between the two competing teams, they will certainly be well worth tuning in for. The Netherlands men, the current European champions, will welcome Low Countries rivals Belgium to the Wagener Stadium, with the revamped Oranje team looking to make a positive start to their post Tokyo 2020 journey with new head coach Jeroen Delmee, taking on the reigning Olympic, World and FIH Hockey Pro League title holders. Delmee, a double Olympic champion with the Netherlands in a playing career that saw him make over 400 international appearances, has a squad full of youthful promise, one that is clearly planning towards the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and beyond. Talents such as Jorrit Croon, 23, and Thierry Brinkman, 26, are now seen as senior figures amongst the 24 players they had registered for the competition at the time of writing. Brinkman and goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak are the only two players with over 100 caps to their name, which is greatly contrasted by the frankly staggering levels of experience possessed by the Red Lions. With most of the team that won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 remaining together, their Pro League squad list contains sixteen players who are caps centurions. Six of those have over 200 caps with three more than 300, while the extraordinary, seemingly ageless John-John Dohmen has well over 400 international appearances to his name. Even though the collective international experience of Dohmen (418 caps), captain Felix Denayer (344), and Cedric Charlier (344) is significantly greater than the entire Dutch contingent combined (891), it will matter little when the two teams take to the field. Meetings between these two great rivals are always packed full of drama, with their FIH Hockey Pro League encounters being particularly memorable. In May of this year, the Netherlands powered to a crushing 4-0 away victory over Belgium in Antwerp, while their meeting last November was a thrilling 4-4 draw, with Belgium stealing the bonus point in the shoot-out. While we cannot predict what will happen, it is understandable that expectations will run high in the build-up.  The matches were originally set to be staged in Rotterdam but were switched to the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen due to enhanced covid restrictions in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, this means that no fans will be present in the arena. Up-coming Fixtures: Netherlands v Belgium (Men) Where: Wagener Stadium (Amsterdam, NED) Dates: Friday 26 and Sunday 28 November 2021

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 19, 2021):-The Diplomatic Football League (DFL) 2021-22 will be kicked off from Saturday, as five matches will be played on the opening day. Thailand will meet Kazakhstan in the first match of the prestigious football league. All matches will be played at Check Shahzad football ground. Saturday’s Fixtures: Thailand Vs Kazakhstan at 1:00 pm RBS Vs Malaysia at 1:35 pm Golden Stars Vs Japan at 2:05 Europe Vs Saudi Arabia at 2:35 Thailand Vs Indonesia  at 3:05

Sports Bulletin Report DHAKA, Bangladesh (November 19, 2021):-An all-rounders Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz added 36 runs off 15 balls to ensure a thrilling four-wicket win in the first match of the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka on Friday. Set a 128-run target, Pakistan went past the target with four balls to spare with Shadab hitting a six off Amin-ul-Islam, the visitors needed two runs off the final over. Pakistan lost their prolific opening pair of Mohammad Rizwan (11) and captain Babar Azam (7) cheaply while Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik fell for ducks. After six overs Pakistan were precariously placed at 24 for four, left-handers Fakhar Zaman and Khushdil Shah led the recovery with 56-run stand for the fifth-wicket. Fakhar was dismissed by Taskin Ahmed for 34 off 36 balls (four fours). Khushdil was sent packing by Shoriful Islam for 35 (35 balls, three fours, one six) with the score at 96. Shadab hit two sixes and one four in his 21 off 10 balls while Nawaz contributed 18 off eight with the help of two sixes and one four to seal Pakistan’s win. Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. Pakistan made early inroads as openers Mohammad Naim (1) and Saif Hassan (1) fell cheaply. The hosts were reduced to 15 for three in the fifth over when Mohammad Wasim Jnr accounted for Najmul Hossain Shanto (7). Captain Mahmudullah fell to Mohammad Nawaz for six with the score at 40 in nine overs. Afif Hossain top-scored for the hosts with 36 off 34 balls (two fours, two sixes) he was the fifth batter dismissed with the total at 61 in the 13th over. Bangladesh fought back through their lower-order of Mahedi Hasan (30 not out, 20 balls, one four, two sixes) and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan (28 off 22 balls, two sixes) to post a competitive total on a challenging pitch that offered assistance to spinners. The hosts finished their 20 overs at 127 for seven. For Pakistan Hasan Ali who was later adjudged player of the match captured three wickets for 22 in four overs, Wasim Jnr took two wickets for 24 runs. Scores in Brief: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by four wickets Bangladesh 127 for 7, 20 overs (Afif Hossain 36, Mahedi Hasan 30 not out, Nurul Hasan 28; Hasan Ali 3-22, Mohammad Wasim Jnr 2-24) Pakistan 132 for 6, 19.2 overs (Khushdil Shah 34, Fakhar Zaman 34, Shadab Khan 21 not out; Taskin Ahmed 2-31) Player of the match: Hasan Ali

Sports Reporter LAHORE (November 19, 2021):-Balochistan, Central Punjab and Sindh recorded victories in the first round of the Cricket Associations Challenge that began on Friday at three cities of Punjab. At Rana Naved Cricket Academy in Sheikhupura, Sindh’s Saim Ayub century led his side to a seven-wicket win over Southern Punjab. After being put into bat, Southern Punjab were dismissed for 199 in the 43rd over. Opening batter Mukhtar Ahmed top-scored with a 76-ball 40, hitting four fours. Sharoon Siraj and Umar Khan scored 36 runs each. For Sindh, Asif Mehmood and Danish Aziz picked three wickets apiece. In reply, Sindh chased down the target in the 28th over for the loss of three wickets. Saim’s 100 came off 79 balls, which included 13 fours and two sixes. Mohammad Taha returned undefeated on a 61-ball 65, which included nine fours. The pair added 139 runs for the second wicket. Southern Punjab’s Mohammad Umair bagged two wickets for 32. At Saeed Ajmal Academy in Faisalabad, Balochistan beat Northern by 22 runs. After being put into bat, Balochistan scored 252 for nine in 45 overs. Captain Ali Waqas top-scored with a 85-ball 73, smashing six fours and two sixes. He knitted 108 runs for the second wicket with Aqib Junaid (32, 63b, three fours). Zainullah struck three sixes during his knock of 39 from 30 balls faced. Northern’s Salman Irshad took two wickets for 55. In reply, Zaid Alam’s hundred went in vain as Northern were bowled out for 230 in the 45th over. Opening batter Zaid top-scored with a 108-ball 109, hitting eight fours and six sixes. Taimoor Sultan contributed 39 off 33, hitting six fours and one six. For Balochistan, Saleem Mal grabbed four wickets for 37, while Mohammad Ibrahim Snr and Mohammad Shahid picked two wickets apiece. Half-centuries from Abdul Samad and Rizwan Hussain guided Central Punjab to a 75-run win over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at LCCA Ground in Lahore. Central Punjab scored 290 for seven after being put into bat. Rizwan top-scored with 90-ball 87, laced with five fours and two sixes. Opening batter Samad contributed a quick-fire 55 off 49 balls, which included six fours and one six. Samad’s opening partner Gauhar Hafeez scored 44 off 54, laced with four fours and one six. The opening pair added 92 runs. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aamer Azmat picked three wickets for 30 from six overs, while Mohammad Sarwar Afridi bagged two wickets for 53. In reply, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were dismissed for 215 in the 4oth over. Fazal-ur-Rehman top-scored with 70 off 79 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. Aamer, while batting, scored 43-ball 47, hitting one four and four sixes. For Central Punjab, Fahad Munir, Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Faizan and Sohaibullah picked two wickets each. Scores in brief: Balochistan beat Northern by 22 runs at Saeed Ajmal Academy, Faisalabad Balochistan 252-9, 45 overs (Ali Waqas 73, Zainullah 39, Aqib Junaid 32; Salman Irshad 2-55) Northern 230 all out, 44.3 overs (Zaid Alam 109, Taimoor Sultan 39; Saleem Mal 4-37, Mohammad Shahid 2-31, Mohammad Ibrahim Snr 2-55) Sindh beat Southern Punjab by seven wickets at Rana Naved Cricket Academy, Sheikhupura Southern Punjab 199 all out, 42.1 overs (Mukhtar Ahmed 40, Sharoon Siraj 36, Umar Khan 36, Moinuddin 32; Danish Aziz 3-28, Asif Mehmood 3-45) Sindh 200-3, 27.4 overs (Saim Ayub 100, Mohammad Taha 65 not out; Mohammad Umair 2-32) Central Punjab beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 75 runs at LCCA Ground, Lahore Central Punjab 290-7, 45 overs (Rizwan Hussain 87, Abdul Samad 55, Gohar Hafeez 44, Kamran Afzal 34 not out, Mohammad Irfan Khan 30; Aamer Azmat 3-30, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 2-53) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 215 all out, 39.1 overs (Fazal-ur-Rehman 70, Aamir Azmat 47, Atizaz Habib 34 not out, Zohaib Khan 31; Fahad Munir 2-20, Kamran Afzal 2-33, Mohammad Faizan 2-36, Sohaibullah 2-38)

Sports Reporter LAHORE (November 19, 2021):-Balochistan were eight for one in pursuit of 293 against Northern to record their first win of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22. Their captain Imran Butt (0) was bowled by Kashif Ali when Balochistan began their second innings at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium. Azeem Ghumman and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai with the scores of four and three were at the crease when stumps were called on day three. Northern made 259 for six in 76.4 overs before declaring the innings after Muhammad Huraira and Abdul Faseeh made 65 and 94 and put 148 runs for the first wicket. With 73-ball 42, Umar Amin was the next best run-getter in the innings before he was bowled by Taj Wali, who also sent Huraira, Aamir Jamal, Mubasir Khan and Mehran Mumtaz packing to record his 17th first-class five-wicket haul. At the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Sindh collected four batting points, while Southern Punjab added three more points to their tally as the former declared their first innings at 350 for nine in 85 overs after taking a lead of 40. Saad Khan, resuming the day on 54, fell 10 runs short of a century when he was dismissed by Ali Usman, who finished with four for 75. Saad added 104 runs with his captain Asad Shafiq who made 48 off 98 before he was run out. Southern Punjab lost their opener Zain Abbas to Mir Hamza in seven overs bowled in their second innings. They were 12 for one with Tayyab Tahir and Umar Siddiq at the crease. At the Multan Cricket Stadium, captain Ali Zaryab’s unbeaten century had given Central Punjab a 267-run lead over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Ali made 102 and smashed 14 fours from 179 balls as Central Punjab finished the day on 209 for six. Central Punjab will be looking to add quick runs on the final day’s play before they insert Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Imran Khan Snr had Central Punjab reduced to three for three with the wickets of Imran Dogar, Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Saad upfront. The pacer has taken three wickets for 42. Earlier, his team was bowled out for 212 in 50.2 overs as Central Punjab collected five bowling points. Scores in brief: Northern won the toss and elected to bat against Balochistan at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern 244 all out, 84.4 overs (Abdul Faseeh 47, Rohail Nazir 41, Umar Amin 37, Muhammad Huraira 33, Mehran Mumtaz 23, Aamir Jamal 22; Kashif Bhatti 5-92, Raza-ul-Hasan 2-37, Jalat Khan 2-68) and 259-6, 76.4 overs (Abdul Faseeh 94, Mohammad Huraira 65, Umar Amin 42; Taj Wali 5-47) Balochistan 211 all out, 74.1 overs (Bismillah Khan 64, Akbar-ur-Rehman 50, Gohar Faiz 22; Raza Hasan 4-67, Mehran Mumtaz 3-80, Mubasir Khan 2-21) and 8-1, 5 overs (Kashif Ali 1-5) Innings points – Northern 6, Balochistan 6 Toss Uncontested – Sindh opt to bowl against Southern Punjab at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 310 all out, 101.3 overs (Umar Siddiq 84, Imran Rafiq 68, Umar Siddiq 61 not out, Zain Abbas 45, Yousuf Babar 36, Tayyab Tahir 24, Zia-ul-Haq 22; Sohail Khan 4-62, Tabish Khan 2-81, Mohammad Asghar 2-91) and 12-1, 7 overs (Mir Hamza 1-2) Sindh 350-9, 85 overs (Saad Khan 90, Ahsan Ali 70, Asad Shafiq 48, Tabish Khan 29 not out, Sohail Khan 22, Mohammad Hasan 21; Ali Usman 4-75, Aamer Yamin 2-70) Innings points – Southern Punjab 7, Sindh 7 Toss Uncontested – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opt to bowl against Central Punjab at Multan Cricket Stadium Central Punjab 270 all out, 88.3 overs (Mohammad Saad 98, Ahmed Shehzad 36, Imran Dogar 32, Zafar Gohar 24, Saif Badar 23, Zafar Gohar 21 not out; Sameen Gul 3-55, Asif Afridi 3-57, Imran Khan Snr 3-97) and 209-6, 60 overs (Ali Zaryab 102 not out, Junaid Ali 35, Saad Nasim 23, Zafar Gohar 20 not out) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 212 all out, 50.2 overs (Asif Afridi 61, Musadiq Ahmed 46, Asif Afridi 42 not out, Adil Amin 26, Sahibzada Farhan 24; Mohammad Ali 6-50, Waqas Maqsood 2-41) Innings points – Central Punjab 9, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 5

Sports Reporter KARACHI (November 19, 2021):-The 18th Westbury Ranking Tennis Championships will commence from Saturday at Synthetic Hard Courts of DA Creek Club. Karachi Tennis Association (KTA) will host the prestigious tennis fixture under the auspices of Sindh Tennis Association (STA).  According to an official of STA, Westbury Group sponsor the STA circuit tennis event annually. The organizers have received 180 entries in various events including 17 players from Hyderabad and other cities of Sindh. STA has finalized seeding of various events, Men’s Singles Farhan Altaf top seed, Nadir Bachani (Hyderabad) 2nd seed. Raahim Veqar top seed in Under- 17 Singles, Natalia Zaman in Ladies Singles, Rafi Derbari (Hyderabad) in 35 plus Singles.