Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 19, 2021):-Abhilasha Bista from Nepal pairing with American girl Taylor Gotez have won the Girls’ Doubles title of ITF Pakistan ITA-Midcourt International Junior Tennis Championship after overcoming Russian girls Olga Sorochkina and Ekaterina Suvorova 2-0 in final at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad on Friday. Russian lads claimed Boys’ Doubles title afternoon at same venue, as they ousted Aarav SamratHada and Aki Zuben Rawat from Nepal 2-1. In the morning session, in Girls Doubles finals, Abhilasha Bista and Taylor Goetz outclassed Russian girls in straight sets 2-0 in a single sided affair. Both players displayed excellent skill of tennis and did not allow their challenger to settle their feet in the court. The final score-line was 6-1 and 6-2. Boys’ Singles was played afternoon, Russian lads AmirAsylkozhaev and DmitryBessonov had to toil hard in the court to overcome Nepal’s opponents Aarav SamratHada and Aki ZubenRawat. The final score-line was 4-6, 6-0 and 10-6. The Girls’ Singles final and Boys Singles final will be played on Saturday on the clay courts of at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad. Girls Singles final will start at 10:30 am while Boys Singles final at 2:00 pm. Results: Girls’ Doubles (Final): Abhilasha Bista (NEP) / Taylor Goetz (USA) beat Olga Sorochkina (RUS) / Ekaterina Suvorova(RUS) 6-1, 6-2 Boys’ Doubles (Final): AmirAsylkozhaev (RUS) / DmitryBessonov (RUS) beat Aarav SamratHada (NEP) / Aki ZubenRawat (NEP) 4-6, 6-0 and 10-6

ABUDUULAH ASJAD Rawalpindi (November 19, 2021):-Southern Punjab Under-19 Whites overcame Central Punjab Under-19 Blues by two wickets in a thrilling final to lift the title of the National Under-19 Cricket Championship at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. On Friday, resuming their second innings on the overnight score of 187 for seven in 53 overs, Southern Punjab chased down the target for the loss of eight wickets in the 65th over on the fourth day of the final match. Requiring 23 more runs to win, Southern Punjab U19 Whites lost their well settled batter Mohammad Ammar for 48, who was dismissed by off-spinner Arham Nawab. Faisal Akram (14 not out, 43b, two fours) and Awais Abbas (eight not out, 26b, one four) helped their side cross over the line. Central Punjab’s Arham took four wickets in the second innings and ended-up with match figures of seven for 87. He was named as best bowler of the tournament with 30 scalps from six matches at 16.80. Mohammad Shehzad representing Southern Punjab U19 Whites was named player of the final for his all-round performance. The right-handed batter scored 133 runs in the final, which included 85 in the first innings. With right-arm fast, Shehzad took two wickets in the second innings of Central Punjab Blues. Shehzad was also awarded with the best batter of the tournament as he topped the batting charts with 829 runs from six matches at 92.11. He hit three centuries and four half-centuries in the tournament. Arafat Ahmed from Southern Punjab Whites was awarded with player of the tournament. The 17-year old left-handed batter scored 504 runs from six matches at 56. He hit two centuries and as many half-centuries. With left-arm spin Arafat bagged 22 wickets from six matches at 13.77 and twice he took five-wicket hauls. Best wicket-keeper award also went to Southern Punjab U19 Whites. 17-year old Hasnain Majid ended-up with 24 dismissals to his name which included 15 catches and nine stumpings. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab U19 Whites beat Central Punjab U19 Blues by two wickets at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Central Punjab U19 Blues 337 all out, 76.1 overs (Mohammad Waqas 101, Shawaiz Irfan 71, Abubakar 38, Ali Asfand 31; Faisal Akram 4-54, Arafat Ahmed 2-48, Mohammad Ismail 2-68) and 127 all out, 35.1 overs (Hasnat Abbas 27; Faisal Akram 0-3, Mohammad Ismail 3-60, Mohammad Shehzad 2-27, Awais Abbas 2-35) Southern Punjab U19 Whites 255 all out, 74.1 overs (Mohammad Shehzad 85, Aun Shehzad 78, Mohammad Ammar 33; Arham Nawab 3-42, Mohammad Zeeshan 3-52, Awais Ali 2-55) and 210-8, 64.2 overs (Arafat Ahmed 53, Mohammad Shehzad 48, Mohammad Ammar 48; Arham Nawab 4-45) Player of the match – Mohammad Shehzad (Southern Punjab U19 Whites, PKR 25,000) Best Batter of the Tournament – Mohammad Shehzad (Southern Punjab U19 Whites, PKR 50,000) 829 runs Best Bowler of the Tournament – Arham Nawab (Central Punjab U19 Blues, PKR 50,000) 30 wickets Best Wicketkeeper of the Tournament – Hasnain Majid (Southern Punjab U19 Whites, PKR 50,000) 24 dismissals (15 catches, nine stumpings)

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 19, 2021):-American-born Pakistani martial arts player Hasher Khalid Raja has won the silver medal in the Global Martial Arts competitions, which held in Los Vegas, United States of America (USA)  According to reports from Las Vegas, USA Pakistan's rising international star Hasher Khalid Raja has won a silver medal in a global martial arts competition held in Las Vegas, USA. Hasher Khalid Raja is the son of renowned Pakistani Karate Master Shihan Raja Khalid Janjua who is also the President of Pakistan So-Kyokushin Karate Federation and also the Chief Executive of Rajas Martial Arts  So-Kyokushin Center Civic Center Phase 4 Bahria Town Islamabad. Hasher Khalid Raja won 2 out of 3 fights and won the silver medal with the second number. Hundreds of athletes from all over the world participated in these competitions in different weight categories.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 19, 2021):-The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) European Council held its General Assembly in the Portuguese city of Figueira da Foz. In addition to the election of a new IFSC Europe Executive Board, the assembly also awarded the first recipients of the IFSC Europe Sustainability Award. Launched earlier in 2021, the award offers recognition to organisers of IFSC Europe continental competitions for their efforts in sustainability. The Award criteria, evaluates the environmental impact of each competition, from accommodation, energy, and refreshments, to merchandising, transportation, and waste management. Five IFSC Europe competitions were nominated for the initial award, judged by a panel featuring former IFSC Europe Secretary General Colin Knowles, IFSC Europe Athlete Representative Charlotte Durif, Julia Kaess of the Deutsche Alpenverein (DAV), Sandra Lailas Dottar of the Swedish Climbing Federation (SKF), and Robby Toth of Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium (CMBEL). Three of the five registered competitions received a silver sustainability award, with two being awarded bronze. Recipients of the first IFSC Europe Sustainability Award are as follows: SILVER Continental Cup (Lead, Speed) in Laval, France organised by the Fédération Française de la Montagne et de l'Escalade (FFME). Continental Youth Cup (Lead) in Ostermundigen, Switzerland organised by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC). Continental Youth Cup (Lead, Speed) in Puurs, Belgium organised by Climbing and Mountaineering Belgium (CMBEL). BRONZE Continental Cup (Boulder) in Klagenfurt, Austria organised by Kletterverband Österreich (KVÖ). Continental Youth Championships (Boulder, Lead, Speed) in Perm, Russia organised by the Climbing Federation of Russia (CFR).

Sports Report LAHORE (November 18, 2021):-Squash legend Jansher Khan called on Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan at his office at National Hockey Stadium here on Thursday. The promotion of squash among the younger generation was discussed in detail during the meeting. After a detailed meeting with Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan, Jansher and other officials also visited the under-construction State of the Art Squash Complex in Nishtar Park Sports Complex. President Punjab Squash Association and Secretary Local Govt Noor ul Amin Mengal, Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti, Deputy Director Youth Affairs Sayed Omair Hasan, PMU officials and other top officials were also present on this occasion. Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan briefed the squash legend about the construction and various modern facilities being provided at the State of the Art Squash Complex. Legendary squash player Jansher, who won World Open squash tournament record eight times and British Open six times during his illustrious career, expressed his delight over the construction of the State of the Art Squash Complex in Nishtar Park Sports Complex. “It is nice to see a world class modern squash arena being built in Lahore. Now international squash players and teams will visit Pakistan to feature in world squash events”. President Punjab Squash Association Noor ul Amin Mengal expressed his satisfaction over the pace of construction work of State of the Art Squash Complex. “Now we will be able to host international level squash events without any trouble. We are organizing regular squash events to prepare a pool of talented squash players,” he added. Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan said that the game of squash is quite popular among the young generation and we can further nurture the talented players after completing the State of the Art Squash Complex in Nishtar Park Sports Complex. “We are building this project speedily and hopefully this project will be completed during next year,” he added. Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan further said that eight squash courts including one international, one national and six practice courts are being built in this grand complex. “All modern facilities will be provided in the Squash Complex”. Director General Sports Punjab Javed Chohan expressed his hope that Sports Board Punjab will trace numerous talented squash players through this grand facility. “The construction of the State of the Art Squash Complex is definitely a major development in regard to the future of squash in Pakistan”. 

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland (November 18, 2021):-The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that the first ever senior World Hockey 5 a side event – which was initially scheduled in September this year but postponed due to COVID-related issues – will take place on 4-5 June 2022, in Lausanne, Switzerland. Ten teams from four continents, including some of the powerhouses of international hockey, will compete: Switzerland, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland (Men) Switzerland, India, Poland, South Africa and Uruguay (Women) Hockey5s is played with 5 athletes per team. It is particularly known for its non-stop end to end action, since the ball is in play for about 90% of a match, thanks to rebound-boards placed against the outside of the side-lines and back-lines. Furthermore, there are usually more goals with Hockey5s than with the more traditional 11-a-side format of hockey, since players can score from anywhere after the attacking line. Hockey5s is played on a smaller pitch, which enables to bring hockey to people in new and unexpected venues, sometimes even at the heart of the cities. Also, the match duration is shorter, with 2 halves of 10 minutes each. In 2019, in order to further boost the development of hockey globally through Hockey5s, the FIH Executive Board decided to create an FIH Hockey5s World Cup - with the inaugural edition planned in 2024 - and, in the near future, a Hockey5s World Tour, which will consist of events similar to Lausanne’s. Commenting on FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022, FIH CEO Thierry Weil stated: “It was truly heart-breaking to have to postpone the inaugural event and I’d like to extend our sincerest thanks to the local authorities, in particular the City of Lausanne and the Canton of Vaud, for their continuous trust and support. Hockey5s is a great format to promote our sport and especially introduce it to sports fans not yet familiar with hockey. I invite everyone to come to this world event and enjoy the speed, skills and fun of our game!”

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (November 18, 2021):-Central Punjab pacer Mohammad Ali’s six for 37 had Khyber Pakhtunkhwa struggling at 187 for nine and trailing by 83 when stumps were called for the second day’s play at Multan Cricket Stadium in the fifth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22. The right-arm pacer accounted for Sahibzada Farhan (24), Nabi Gul (seven), Adil Amin (26), Rehan Afridi (18), Khalid Usman (11) and Niaz Khan (0). The pacer’s remarkable spell has Central Punjab at the verge of collecting all six available points for bowling. They have already collected three points for removing eight or more wickets in 100 overs and will get further three if they dismiss the last Khyber Pakhtunkhwa batter under the score of 200. It was 46 by Musadiq Ahmed and 42 not out by Asif Afridi that dragged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 187. Asif, who usmashed three fours and four sixes in the 31 balls he faced, will be joined by Imran Khan Snr when play resumes on Friday. Central Punjab after resuming the day on 206 for six were bowled out for 270 inside 10 overs as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected four bowling points. Mohammad Saad fell two runs short of a century as he fell on 98 after resuming the day on 64. Imran, Sameen Gul and Asif Afridi picked up three wickets each. Ahsan Ali followed up his triple century in the last round with a 62-ball 70 as Sindh managed 161 for three in reply of Southern Punjab’s 310 before bad light enforced the close of play at the Gaddafi Stadium. The right-handed opener smashed 13 fours, before he became Sindh’s third wicket to fall after Khurram Manzoor and Ammad Alam were sent packing by Aamer Yamin and Zia-ul-Haq. It was Saad Khan’s unbeaten 80-ball 54 (eight fours) which propelled Sindh to 161. He will resume the innings with his captain, Asad Shafiq, who is not out on 11, on Friday. Earlier, Umar Siddiq converted his overnight 61 into 84. The Southern Punjab skipper became Test cricketer Tabish Khan’s second victim. The destroyer-in-chief, however, was Sohail Khan, who dismissed four batters and gave away 62 runs in 26 overs. Northern, in what is a remarkable comeback following a defeat to Southern Punjab in the last round, were 50 runs ahead of Balochistan at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad as they closed the day on 17 for none playing for the second time in the match. It was Raza Hasan’s four wickets at the cost of 67 runs which rolled out Balochistan for 211. Bismillah Khan and Akbar-ur-Rehman scored half-centuries as they made 64 and 50. Northern’s Mehran Mumtaz took three wickets for 80, while Mubasir Khan returned two for 21. By dismissing Balochistan inside 100 overs and under 250, Northern bagged five bowling points. At the start of day, Balochistan had also bagged five points for rolling out Northern for 244 in 84.4 overs. 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) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 187-9, 46 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 46, Asif Afridi 42 not out, Adil Amin 26, Sahibzada Farhan 24; Mohammad Ali 6-37) Innings points – Central Punjab 5, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4 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) Sindh 161-3, 35 overs (Ahsan Ali 70, Saad Khan 54 not out) Innings points – Southern Punjab 4, Sindh 3 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 17-0, 10 overs (Muhammad Huraira 12 not out, Abdul Faseeh 5 not out) 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) Innings points – Northern 6, Balochistan 6

ABDULLAH ASJAD Rawalpindi (November 18, 2021):-The final between Central Punjab U19 Blues and Southern Punjab U19 Whites hangs in balance as Central Punjab require three wickets, while Southern Punjab require 23 runs to win the National U19 Championship at the close of third day’s play at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. Resuming their second innings on the overnight score of 41 for three, Central Punjab U19 Blues were bowled out for 127 in the 36th over. Hasnat Abbas top-scored with 60-ball 27, hitting five fours. For Southern Punjab U19 Whites, left-arm spinner Faisal Akram picked three wickets without giving any runs, while right-arm fast Mohammad Ismail also bagged three wickets. Mohammad Shehzad and Mohammad Awais Abbas picked two wickets apiece. Requiring 210 runs to win, Southern Punjab U19 Whites at one stage was cruising towards victory with 150 for three at the scoreboard, but three wickets from off-spinner Arham Nawab put breaks on Southern Punjab U19 Whites run chase. Southern Punjab’s Arafat Ahmed top-scorer with 60-ball 53, laced with eight fours and three sixes. Mohammad Shehzad contributed 48 off 57, hitting six fours and two sixes. Mohammad Ammar returned undefeated on 47 off 88, which included three fours. At stumps, Southern Punjab U19 Whites were 187 for seven in 53 overs. Scores in brief: Central Punjab U19 Blues v Southern Punjab U19 Whites – Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Central Punjab U19 Blues 337 all out, 76.1 overs (Mohammad Waqas 101, Shawaiz Irfan 71, Abubakar 38, Ali Asfand 31; Faisal Akram 4-54, Arafat Ahmed 2-48, Mohammad Ismail 2-68) and 127 all out, 35.1 overs (Hasnat Abbas 27; Faisal Akram 0-3, Mohammad Ismail 3-60, Mohammad Shehzad 2-27, Awais Abbas 2-35) Southern Punjab U19 Whites 255 all out, 74.1 overs (Mohammad Shehzad 85, Aun Shehzad 78, Mohammad Ammar 33; Arham Nawab 3-42, Mohammad Zeeshan 3-52, Awais Ali 2-55) and 187-7, 53 overs (Arafat Ahmed 53, Mohammad Shehzad 48, Mohammad Ammar 47 not out; Arham Nawab 3-38)

BIPIN DANI Haryana's 18-year-old Ajaj Gill has become a celebrity. He met his "god" Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday. The unusual thing about this fan meeting Dhoni is his 1436-km walk in 20 days from his Jalan Kheda home of Haryana to Ranchi and this was his second attempt to walk this distance merely to meet Dhoni. He could not meet Dhoni when he walked this distance a few months ago and realized that Dhoni had gone to Chennai to go to the UAE for the IPL matches. "I had not given up hope and this time I was determined to meet him and vowed that if he can't meet him, he would starve at his bungalow in Ranchi", speaking exclusively over the telephone, Ajay Gill said. Gill has Dhoni's name in his hair-style. He wears a jersey embroidered with Dhoni's name and photos. "I am his biggest fan", he claims. "I have been his fan since the day when he made his international debut (against Bangladesh in 2005). He was out for zero on his debut ODI, but I was confident that this long-haired young man would be a very successful cricketer". "I cried a lot when he announced his retirement. I have also been a local cricketer but had decided I would hold the bat again and continue to play only when I get a chance to meet my "God" in person and my dream came true only on 17th Nov.". "I touched the feet of my "God". He presented me with a cricket bat with his autograph and now I will begin playing the game again". "Initially, my family was not supporting me. Even the neighbours and friends used to tell me to leave this "madness". "Yes, Dhoni told me not to make this mistake of such a long walk again and blessed me to be his fan".  Now, Gill's return journey has made him a hero. Red carpet welcome awaits him. His next dream is to marry a girl whose name would only be Sakshi.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 18, 2021):-US guy Mujtaba Ali Khan and Russian lad Amir Asylkozhaev set to meet in the final after winning their respective semifinals  of the Boys’ Singles fixture of the ITF Pakistan ITA-Midcourt International Junior Tennis Championships at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad on Thursday. Tahir Mushtaq-Chief Human Resource PTV visited PTF Complex today interacted with the players and also had a photo session with participants. He also went around to see the arrangements and was highly impressed with the PTF infrastructure and appreciated organizational and administrative working. Results: Boys Singles (Semi-Finals): Amir Asylkozhaev (RUS) bt Aarav Samrat Hada (NEP) 6-4, 6-0 Mujtaba Ali Khan (USA) bt Abhishek Thorat (USA) 6-3, 6-2 Girls Singles (Semi-Finals): Abhilasha Bista (NEP) bt Natalia Zaman (PAK) 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-0 Goetz Taylor (USA) bt Daria Stefania Malaescu (ROU) 6-1, 6-0 Boys Doubles (Semi-Finals): Aarav Samrat Hada / Aki Zuben Rawat (NEP) bt Mujtaba Ali Khan (USA) / Ferdi Tangal (TUR) 3-6, 6-3(10-7) Amir Asylkozhaev (RUS) / Dmitry Bessonov (RUS) bt Dev Kanbargimath (ROU) / Abhishek Thorat (USA) 7-6(5), 6-4 Girls Doubles (Semi-Finals): Abhilasha Bista (NEP) / Taylor Goetz(USA) bt Sai Harshitaa Adivi (IND) / Zahra Suleman(PAK): 6-0, 6-1 Sorochkina (RUS) / Ekaterina (RUS) bt Daria Stefania Malaescu (ROU) / Sharvani Shreshta(NEP) 2-6, 6-4(10-8) Friday’s Fixtures: Girls Doubles Finals:  10:30 am Boys Doubles Finals:   2:00 pm