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One more Sri Lankan player migrates to the USA
By BIPIN DANI
Sri Lanka's one more cricketer has migrated to the USA on Tuesday. The 28-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Lahiru Milintha, who has played 66 First Class matches, reached North Carolina with his wife on Tuesday early morning.
Speaking exclusively over the telephone from the USA, he says, "I will be playing for the Morrisville Cardinals team in the Minor Cricket League (MiCL) this year". This is the first year of the League in the USA and all matches are played on weekends.
"Half of the tournament is over", he said. Interestingly, Lahiru Milintha is the sixth SriLanka-born cricketer in this tournament. The other five Sri Lankans are : Sehan Jayasuriya, Amila Aponso, Roy Silva, Gayan Fernando and Ravindu Gunasekera.
Ravindu Gunasekara has played for the Canada national team also. He will be in Lahiru's team in the MiCL. Morrisville Cardinals' next match is on Saturday, 28th August against Orlando Galaxy.
Jayasuriya, Aponoso and now Lahiru are keen to settle in the USA and ambitious to play for the USA national team in future. They, however, have to reside in the USA (ICC's mandatory requirement) for three years to be eligible to play for the USA.
Turkey withdraw from Europe Women Qualifer
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Islamabad (August 25, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) today have confirmed that Turkey have withdrawn from the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier supported by Dream 11 as the necessary approval and travel documentation required due to COVID-19 restrictions for the team was not able to be secured from the Turkish Sports Ministry.
The event due to start tomorrow in La Manga, Spain will now see the Qualifier be played as five-team tournament with a revised fixture list below. Action from the five-day tournament will be available to fans from across the world through the live stream, details here.
ICC Regional Development Manager – Europe, Andy Wright said: “It is with great regret that Turkey will not be taking part in the Europe Qualifier at La Manga. We have been in communication with the Federation over the past month to provide any assistance to secure their arrival into Spain in time for the event and would like to thank the Federation for their efforts in trying to secure the documentation.
“We have worked closely with the remaining participating teams and the event will now be played as a five-team tournament. We are looking forward to seeing play getting underway tomorrow in what is still set to be a very competitive event.”
The revised fixtures are:
26 August 2021 - Netherlands v Scotland (10:30); Ireland v Germany (10:30); France v Netherlands (15:30)
27 August 2021 - Germany v France (10:30); Ireland v Scotland (10:30); Netherlands v Germany (15:30)
28 August 2021 - Rest Day
29 August 2021 - France v Ireland (10:30); Scotland v Germany (10:30)
30 August 2021 - Netherlands v Ireland (10:30); Scotland v France (10:30)
Fawad and Shaheen attain career bests in Test Rankings
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
ISLAMABAD (August 25, 2021):-Left-handed batter Fawad Alam and left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi have achieved career-best positions in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after helping Pakistan win the second Test against the West Indies in Kingston to draw their two-match ICC World Test Championship series 1-1.
Alam’s unbeaten 124 in the first innings has helped him shoot up 34 places to 21st position. Shaheen has gained 10 slots to reach eighth position after a 10-wicket match haul that helped seal a 109-run victory and won him the Player of the Match award.
Fawad, who has struck four centuries since his return to Test cricket in August last year, had a previous best of 47th position attained in May this year while Afridi’s 18th position before this Test was his highest. Shaheen, who also finished as the Player of the Series with 18 wickets, had started the series in 22nd position.
Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the two Pakistan players ahead of Fawad in the batters’ list, have also gained. Babar’s scores of 75 and 33 have helped him advance one slot to seventh position, two below his career-best fifth position in August last year, while Rizwan is back in the top 20 with scores of 31 and 10 not out.
Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali is another one to gain in the latest weekly update to the men’s rankings that is carried out across formats on Wednesdays. His three-wicket haul in the second innings has helped him progress from 48th to 44thposition.
For the West Indies, all-rounder Jason Holder has advanced six places to 37th among batters with scores of 26 and 47. Fast bowler Jayden Seales, the most successful after Shaheen with 11 wickets in the series, has moved up four slots to 54th after his three first innings wickets.
TENPIN BOWLING - National 24 Aug, 2021
SPORTS REPORT
Islamabad(August 24, 2021):-The Azadi Cup Tenpin Bowling Championship 2021 will start from August 25, at Leisure City Bowling Club, Jinnah Park, Rawalpindi, as the President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sadar Yasir Ilyas Khan will inaugurate the Championship.
According to President, Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation, Ijaz ur Rehman, all arrangements of the tournament have been finalized. Players from all over the country will participate in the nine events categories, comprises, Singles Masters, Doubles, Deaf, Team, Women, Inter University, Inter School, Amateur and Media.
Chairman Bahria Town Night Golf Championship 2021
ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL
Islamabad (August 24, 2021):-As many as over 50 top national players are being participating Chairman Bahria Town Night Golf Championship 2021 that kicked off on Monday night under the banner of Garden City Golf Club, sponsored by AAA Associates, Leading group of Companies at Garden City Golf Club, Phase-7, Bahria Town, Islamabad. .
According to an official, over 50 top golfers, corporate teams and diplomats are competing from all over Pakistan. Pakistan No.1 ranked professional golfer Shabbir along with Vice Chief Executive Bahria Town, Mohammad Ilyas, Deputy Cheif Executive Bahria Town Sajid Ilyas, Managing Director AAA Associates Lt Col. Shahzad Kiani and Secretary Garden City Golf Club Brig Saeed Dar have graced the opening ceremony. Championship aim is to revive sport oriented activity to come out of the trauma of COVID-19 post pandemic scenario. The tournament will be concluded at same venue.
Registered Participants include 56 top professionals, more than 50 Ladies and Juniors, 100 Club Members, 12 Corporate Teams and some foreign dignitaries along with senior golfers. The Professional Category prize pool is Rs 3 million, with trophies for winning participants. Team Trophies and Medals for three best Corporate Teams and eight prizes in each category will also be awarded. Overall, more than 150 prizes will be distributed.
Earlier, talking to the press conference, the Garden City secretary shared his thoughts and said, “We want more public and professional golfers to participate in this event which offers great excitement and opportunity for rising stars to showcase their talent and promote golf among the young population, “he said.
MD AAA associate Lt. Col Shahzad Ali Kiani (R) stressed upon the mental and health benefits of the sport. He said, “We are eager to promote Golf and showcase it in a manner which will promote this sport to our populace. It is a healthy family sport which helps in alleviating stress and aids to develop a sense of community connectedness. We at AAA Associates encourage everyone to take part in this sport”. It is hoped that this Tournament will go a long way in promoting Golf and Golfers in the Country.
AAA Associates has been very supportive in sponsoring Sports related activities like Cricket, Hockey, Football and other sports tournaments, which encourages the local participants to showcase their talent and promote a healthy environment in the community.
OLYMPICS - 23 Aug, 2021
ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL
Islamabad (August 23, 2021):-Tokyo Paralympics begins tomorrow! Overall theme for both the Olympics and Paralympics is “MOVING FORWARD” and the theme for the opening ceremony for the Paralympics is “WE HAVE WINGS”.
Matsuda Kuninori, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, wishing success to the two Pakistani athletes, Haider Ali and Anila Baig, participating in the Tokyo Paralympics said “Congratulations to the athletes, coaches, supporting staff and the families of the Pakistan’s Paralympic Team for their resilience to compete in the Games especially during the time of challenging COVID-19 situation. I am sure that the Pakistani Paralympians will do their best for their country.”
While expressing his good wishes and solidarity on the occasion of Tokyo Paralympics, the President of Pakistan's Milestone Society for Special Persons, Muhammad Shafiq ur Rehman, also congratulated the Pakistani athletes for their dedication and hard work for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. He mentioned that “Due to the COVID- 19 situation, Pakistan team could not participate with a large contingent but still we are praying and hoping for the two Pakistani athletes to perform well and win medals for the country.
Shafiq, in his message on the occasion, also extended his gratitude to the Japanese people with disabilities who had donated wheelchairs to Milestone Society for Special Persons in 2002. That donation from our Japanese friends helped us to start sports activities for persons with disabilities here in Pakistan and also introduced wheelchair cricket as a new game in the world.
"Our heart is full of respect and love for our Japanese friends. We have a spiritual relation which is getting strengthened every time new sun rises. Long live Pakistan Japan brotherhood” said the President of Milestone Society for Special Persons.
"We have received very precious support by the Embassy of Japan and developed the first center with full accessibility of international standard in Lahore Pakistan. We are also very thankful to the Embassy of Japan to ensure the accessibility for the wheelchair users at their premises.”
"Our Japanese friends always supported us with great knowledge and resources" he further said.
Mark Wood to miss third Test
SPORTS DESK
Islamabad (August 23, 2021):-England seamer Mark Wood has been ruled out of the LV= Insurance third Test against India with a jarred right shoulder.
Wood sustained the injury on the fourth day of the second Test at Lord’s and will not be fit to play at Emerald Headingley starting on Wednesday.
He will remain with the squad in Leeds and will continue his rehab with the England medical team.
The 31-year-old will be assessed at the end of this Test match.
FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2020-21
SPORTS NEWS
Lausanne, Switzerland (August 23, 2021):- The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to reveal the shortlists for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2020-21, with players, coaches, media and fans being able to register their votes for the nominees in the respective women’s and men’s Player, Goalkeeper, Rising Star and Coach of the Year categories from today (Monday 23 August).
With no Hockey Stars Awards in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic on the international calendar, this year’s awards cover the period from January 2020 through to the conclusion of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, meaning that the 2020-21 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League has been very much taken into consideration. In another change from the norm, the Hockey Stars Awards nominations and voting will now take place around August and September of each calendar year going forward, moving away from its traditional December-January launch period.
The voting process for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2020-21 will remain open until Wednesday 15 September 2021, with the winners being announced in late September / early October 2021.
Votes from National Associations, represented by their respective national captains and coaches, will count for 50% of the overall result, while fans and players (25%) as well as media (25%) will make the other half of the votes.
List of Awards
FIH Player of the Year – Women & Men
FIH Goalkeeper of the Year - Women & Men
FIH Rising Star of the Year - Women & Men (Aged 21 or under on 31/12/2021)
FIH Coach of the Year - Women & Men
The shortlisted individuals in each category can be found below.
FIH Player of the Year Awards
Women: Agustina Albertarrio (ARG), Eva de Goede (NED), Agustina Gorzelany (ARG), Gurjit Kaur (IND), Frédérique Matla (NED), Maria Verschoor (NED)
Men: Tim Brand (AUS), Arthur van Doren (BEL), Alexander Hendrickx (BEL), Harmanpreet Singh (IND), Jake Whetton (AUS), Aran Zalewski (AUS)
FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Awards
Women: Maddie Hinch (GBR/ENG), Savita (IND), Belén Succi (ARG)
Men: Andrew Charter (AUS), Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh (IND), Vincent Vanasch (BEL).
FIH Rising Star of the Year Awards
Women: Fiona Crackles (GBR/ENG), Sharmila Devi (IND), Valentina Raposo (ARG)
Men: Mustaphaa Cassiem (RSA), Sean Findlay (NZL), Vivek Prasad (IND)
FIH Coach of the Year Awards
Women’s teams: Alyson Annan (AUS) – The Netherlands, Mark Hager (AUS) – Great Britain & England, Sjoerd Marijne (NED) – India
Men’s teams: Colin Batch (AUS) – Australia, Shane McLeod (NZL) – Belgium, Graham Reid (AUS) – India
FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2020-21 - selection and voting process
Following the conclusion of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the nominee shortlist was agreed by an expert committee. This committee consisted of FIH Athletes Committee Chair Rogier Hofman, FIH Media Coordinator and journalist Sarah Juggins, Belgium Hockey High Performance Director Adam Commens (chosen for the role by his peers to represent high performance and coaching staff), as well as FIH Executive Board Member Maureen Craig-Rousseau, a member of the Jury of Appeal at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Voting
Votes from National Associations count for 50% of the overall result. Each NA will be granted two votes per gender, which will come from the national team captain and head coach.
Pre-season training camp for white-ball players to commence on Sunday
SPORTS REPORT
Lahore (August 21, 2021):-A pre-season training camp for men’s white-ball players will commence on Sunday at the National High Performance Centre with practice matches to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium.
The camp will be supervised by the NHPC coaching and support staff, led by Head of International Player Development Saqlain Mushtaq.
Twenty-six players will take part in the camp for which the players will start assembling later today. Throughout the camp, the prevalent Covid-19 SOPs will be observed.
During the camp, the players will work on their fitness and cricketing skills with a special emphasis on their preparation for the hectic white-ball international cricket season which begins next month.
White-ball players returning from the West Indies will be asked to join the camp after a few days of rest.
White-ball players to participate in the camp:
Arshad Iqbal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Danish Aziz (Sindh), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hussain Talat (Southern Punjab), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imad Wasim (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper)(Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Shadab Khan (Northern), Sharjeel Khan (Sindh), Sohaib Maqsood (Southern Punjab).
Additional players to help during net sessions and practice matches:
Abrar Ahmed (Sindh), Ahmed Bashir (Central Punjab), Imran Randhawa (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Ilyas (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Imran (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Muhammad Akhlaq (Central Punjab), Raza Ali Dar (Central Punjab), Rohail Nazir (Northern), Zeeshan Ashraf (Southern Punjab).
Camp schedule – first week:
22 August – Scenario-based 50 over practice match
23 August – Fitness and Strength and Conditioning session in the afternoon
24 August – Scenario-based 50 over practice match
25 August – Skill practice session
26 August – Fitness, Strength and Conditioning session in the afternoon
27 August – Scenario-based 50 over practice match
Virat and Anushka visit vegan restaurant in London
By BIPIN DANI
Two days after India's historic win against England at Lord's, our captain Virat Kohli and his gorgeous wife Anushka Sharma paid a visit to a vegetarian restaurant Tendril Kitchen- London.
"We were very happy to host them", the owner, who is also the main chef of the restaurant Rishim Sachdeva, speaking exclusively over the telephone from London, said.
"We are a very new restaurant and have only been operational at this site in central London for 4 months and obviously they were the first celebrities to have tasted at our place".
How did they come to know about this restaurant ?
"Well, they googled and checked it online. Anushka mentioned that they loved the pictures and the reviews. They immediately booked the table and we were happy to host them".
"Ours is a vegetarian and mostly the vegan foods are served. Virat and Anushka are vegetarians and liked the food here".
Previously, this Delhi-born Indian owner was working in Mumbai (Olive restaurant), where Shah Rukh Khan used to come often and invited the chef to teach him the cooking items.
"I didn't discuss cricket with Kohli but our discussions mainly were on food, our sourcing of ingredients etc. We also talked about clean and healthy food habits and how vegetarian / vegan food is good for the planet and our own health".
"We also do a tasting menu, where you get a bit of everything from the menu. They loved everything and finished each and every plate".
Kohli did recommend this restaurant to his team mates as well and the next day Indian spinner R. Ashwin was the visitor of this restaurant.
"Obviously we treated them as our special guests", the owner signed off.
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