SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 6, 2021):-Great Britain’s women secured their third successive Olympic medal by edging India 4-3 in a hugely entertaining bronze medal match at the Oi Hockey Stadium this morning. The London 2012 bronze and Rio 2016 gold medallists were given a huge test by the Indian team, fighting back from 3-2 down to win 4-3 thanks to strikes from captain Hollie Pearne-Webb and Grace Balsdon in a contest played in sweltering conditions.  It is Great Britain’s fourth Olympic medal, having also medalled at Barcelona 1992 with a 4-3 victory against South Africa. It was also a first medal for Great Britain head coach Mark Hager, who took New Zealand's women to the bronze medal games at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics but suffering defeat on both occasions. It is a third Olympic medal for defender Laura Unsworth, who was also part of the London and Rio campaigns. While defeat left India’s players and coaching staff clearly heartbroken, the team captained by Rani and coached by Sjoerd Marijne can leave Tokyo feeling incredibly proud of their achievement, matching their previous best Olympic finish of fourth, which came at Moscow 1980. Despite the on-field temperature reaching 43 degrees Celsius – a situation that lead to the implementation of not only extended quarter time breaks but also mid-quarter hydration breaks – the contest between the two teams was nothing short of thrilling. Both teams had chances to score in a goal-less first quarter before a flurry of goals arrived in the second period, with Great Britain’s Ellie Rayer and Sarah Robertson – who struck a diving backhand into the goal via the left post – opening up a 2-0 lead. Incredibly, India responded with three goals in just four minutes, as Gurjit Kaur bagged two penalty corners before Vandana Katariya scored from open play to leave Great Britain trailing at half time. A captain’s goal from Hollie Pearne-Webb levelled the scores with a rare but high-quality strike from open play five minutes after half time, with the game’s decisive moment coming from the stick of Grace Balsdon early in the fourth quarter, sending a low penalty corner drag-flick between the legs of India goalkeeper Savita. India fought until the very last second, but Great Britain’s defence – coupled with another excellent goalkeeping display from Maddie Hinch – held firm to seal the bronze medal. "This is definitely up there”, said GB’s Laura Unsworth on winning her third Olympic medal. “This has probably been my most challenging cycle since I first started, so on a personal note this is probably the most special medal out of all three of them. It has been a tough five years and to come away with a bronze medal to top it all off is just what dreams are made of." Talking about his message to his team after the defeat, India head coach Sjoerd Marijne said: “The first thing I said, like for me personal, first the emotion is about losing, yeah you want to win, but really first off that I feel proud. Pride. I'm proud of the girls, how they again showed their fight and skills. And normally when Indian woman team came 2-0 behind they always went 3-0, 4-0, and now they kept fighting. We came back in the match, we even were one up. “And I said to the girls, 'Listen, I can't take away your tears. No words will help for that. We didn't win the medal, but I think we achieved something bigger, and it's inspiring a country and make the country proud.' And I've shown many messages of people who were saying that, and I think the world have seen another Indian team, and I'm really proud of that.” The women’s Hockey gold medal match begins at 19:00 and will see hot favourites the Netherlands taking on Argentina. The Dutch are now just one win away from being in possession of the World, European, FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic titles. However, they are not expected to have everything their own way against Las Leonas. Fascinatingly, Argentina were the last team to beat the Netherlands, inflicting defeat on the Dutch during their FIH Hockey Pro League encounter in Buenos Aires in February 2020, with the Oranje claiming a 3-1 victory the following day.  The gold medal game will be umpired by Laurine Delforge (BEL) and Sarah Wilson (SCO), with Amber Church (NZL) and Kelly Hudson (NZL) the reserve umpire and video umpire respectively.

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 5, 2021):-The winners of the men’s Olympic gold medal at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are Belgium, who claimed a dramatic shoot-out victory against Australia thanks to a heroic goalkeeping performance from Vincent Vanasch. The Olympic silver medallists from Rio 2016 went one step higher up the podium this time around, with Vanasch – a two-times FIH Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year – denying three Australian players in the one-on-ones as the Red Lions added the Olympic crown to the World Cup they won in India three years ago. As well as earning that much coveted Olympic gold medal, the result means that Belgium have moved back to number one in the FIH World Rankings. The gold medal match itself was incredibly tense throughout, with the two finest men’s hockey teams on the planet proving themselves inseparable for the vast majority of a fierce, high-quality contest. Both Vanasch and Andrew Charter, his opposite number in the Australian goal, made some stunning saves in the game before the deadlock was finally broken early in the third quarter when Florent Van Aubel pounced from close range with a cunning, lifted finish.  Australia pulled level thanks to Tom Wickham’s brilliant overhead tap-in, showing his predatory instincts to force the ball over the line after both Flynn Ogilvie and Aran Zalewski kept the ball alive in the Belgian circle. Both teams had chances late on, but in the end, it came down to a shoot-out to separate the two highest ranked teams in the world, giving the sensational Vanasch a chance to shine. The shot-stopper gave Belgium an early advantage when he saved Australia’s first attempt, slapping the ball away from the stick of Blake Govers before Van Aubel and Arthur de Sloover netted either side of Flynn Ogilvie to give Belgium a 2-1 lead. Australia’s Tim Brand scored to keep the pressure on the Belgians, who then missed their next attempt when the usually calm and collected Felix Denayer lost control, with Australia’s Andrew Charter making the save. However, when Vanasch denied the effort of Joshua Simmonds and competition top scorer Alexander Hendrickx slotted home a penalty stroke after Charter had fouled Victor Wegnez, the pressure was all on Australia’s midfield dynamo Jake Whetton. When the Australian player hit the post, Belgium’s players exploded in celebration, but an Australian video referral ruled that Vanasch had accidently fouled Whetton before his shot, resulting in a re-award.  However, Vanasch took the moment in his stride, stepping out to save Whetton’s second attempt and spark scenes of utter jubilation from all members of the Belgian contingent, and leave level-headed coach Shane McLeod unable to control his emotions, crying tears of joy. "It's history again", said shoot-out hero Vincent Vanasch. "It was history at the World Cup, at the European Championships and now it's history at the Olympics. I will cherish that moment for a long time. This team is a dream team." Commenting on his performance and how he handles himself in shoot-out situations, Vanasch said: "It's just that we train so much. I'm like a musician, it's a rehearsal and then you come to the concert and it comes naturally. That's how I come on the pitch. I'm composed, but also I trust myself, I trust my reflexes and you can learn that from experience and that's why today I did something like this." Australia captain Eddie Ockenden said: "It was a tough match. It was a close game but I thought we had the running at the end and couldn't quite get there. Shoot-outs are tough. I prefer extra time. We couldn't get it done in the shootout." A shoot-out defeat was a tough ending to a superb Australian campaign here in Tokyo, but they will be determined to upgrade silver for gold at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, just as Belgium have done this evening here at the Oi Hockey Stadium. Earlier in the day, India claimed an Olympic medal for the first time since winning gold at Moscow 1980, beating Germany 5-4 in one of the most dramatic bronze medal matches in Olympic history. India fought back from 3-1 down to claim a sensational 5-4 victory over Die Honamas to seal their place on the podium this evening, with goals from Simranjeet Singh (2), Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Hardik Singh denying Germany a medal at a fourth successive Olympic Games (Gold: Beijing 2008, London 2012, Bronze: Rio 2016). The Hockey competition of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 enters its final day tomorrow, with the women’s medals being decided. The bronze medal match will take place on Friday 6 August, with Great Britain and India going-head-to head at 10:30 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT +9). GB are targeting a third Olympic medal on the bounce following bronze at London 2012 and gold at Rio 2016, while India, already guaranteed to match their previous best finish (4th – Moscow 1980), have the chance to create a moment of sporting history by claiming a first Olympic medal in women’s hockey. The match will be umpired by Michelle Joubert (RSA) and Michelle Meister (GER), with Irene Presenqui (ARG) and Kelly Hudson (NZL) the reserve umpire and video umpire respectively. The women’s Hockey gold medal match takes place at 19:00 will see hot favourites the Netherlands taking on Argentina. The Dutch are now just one win away from being in possession of the World, European, FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic titles. However, they are not expected to have everything their own way against Las Leonas. Fascinatingly, Argentina were the last team to beat the Netherlands, inflicting defeat on the Dutch during their FIH Hockey Pro League encounter in Buenos Aires in February 2020, with the Oranje claiming a 3-1 victory the following day.  The gold medal game will be umpired by Laurine Delforge (BEL) and Sarah Wilson (SCO), with Amber Church (NZL) and Kelly Hudson (NZL) the reserve umpire and video umpire respectively. Final Standings – Men Gold – Belgium Silver – Australia Bronze – India 4 – Germany 5 – Great Britain 6 – Netherlands 7 – Argentina 8 – Spain 9 – New Zealand 10 – South Africa 11 – Japan 12 – Canada

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (August 5, 2021):-Tariq Pervez, Director Youth Program of Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA) on today (Thursday) announced that WESPA Youth Cup, which formerly known as World Youth Scrabble Championship would be held from August 7 to 22, 2021. The global regulatory body of scrabble, WESPA has chosen Pakistan once again as the host for the championship after a highly successful event last year Renowned pharmaceutical company PharmEvo  Pvt Ltd will sponsor the championship which will be named the PharmEvo WESPA Youth Cup.  Shangrila Foods Pvt Ltd will be the co-sponsors A team of highly qualified experts led by the Technical Director Vali Mohammad Khubaib will organize the championship. Young Hassan Hadi Khan is chosen as the Tournament Director by WESPA. The entire management team will be from Pakistan Unlike last year this championship will be an individual event. 14 countries across five continents will take part in the championship. All players are under 18 years of age. The players are divided into four groups according to their geographical location. Every player will play a total of 36 games over two weekends. After completion of 36 games the top ten players will qualify to play the final which will be played on 21-22 August The organizing team will be hosted at the PharmEvo Guest house where special arrangements have been made including a playing room, a commentary box and a control room equipped with high speed internet and online monitoring equipment for the organizing team Pakistan has already announced an 8 member team. With an average age of just 13 ½ this is the youngest ever Pakistan team to compete in the youth world championship

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (August 5, 2021):-India have claimed an Olympic medal for the first time since winning gold at Moscow 1980, beating Germany 5-4 in one of the most dramatic bronze medal matches in Olympic history. India fought back from 3-1 down to claim a sensational 5-4 victory over Die Honamas to seal their place on the podium this evening, with goals from Simranjeet Singh (2), Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Hardik Singh denying Germany a medal at a fourth successive Olympic Games (Gold: Beijing 2008, London 2012, Bronze: Rio 2016). Timur Oruz put Germany into the lead just two minutes into the contest after India failed to clear their defensive lines before Simranjeet Singh levelled the scores early in the second quarter with a fierce backhand strike. Simranjeet’s effort was the first of five goals in the second quarter, with Germany dominating to open up a fully deserved 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Niklas Wellen and Benedikt Furk before India hit a quick-fire double through Hardik Singh and the exceptional Harmanpreet Singh to take the score to 3-3 at half time. India’s momentum was not interrupted by the half time break, with Rupinder Pal Singh scoring a penalty stroke before Simranjeet Singh chipped home a fifth to put the eight-times Olympic gold medallists into a commanding 5-3 lead going into the final quarter. Germany have proven time and time again that they never know when they are beaten, and set about the task of attempting a comeback with typical determination. They reduced the deficit 12 minutes from time when Lukas Windfeder slammed home a low penalty corner, setting up a dramatic climax to the contest. Die Honamas threw everything they had at their opponents, and were given one final chance to salvage the contest when they were awarded a penalty corner with just six seconds remaining. However, the drag-flick from the top of the circle was brilliantly saved by India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, becoming the hero that sealed India’s bronze medal here at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. "That is something which I never felt in my life until today", said Sreejesh after the match. "That's a great feeling. I think I need to go back to my home to realise what it is actually. Just waiting for that I just called my dad because he was the reason behind me being here and I just wanted to tell him that I achieved it." India captain Manpreet Singh said: "I don't know what to say right now. It was fantastic, the way we played today. I think we deserved this medal as we have worked so hard, and the last 15 months has been so difficult for us, being in Bangalore away from our families. From the whole team and the coaches we would like to dedicate this medal to our doctors and front-line warriors who have been checking us and saved so many people's lives in India." It was a heart-breaking finish to the contest for Germany and their legendary captain Tobias Hauke, with the double Olympic gold medallist unable to add a second bronze to that which he collected at Rio 2016 during the final match of his extraordinary playing career.

SPORTS REPORT Lahore (August 5, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced New Zealand will play three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals on their first tour to Pakistan in 18 years. Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will be the venue of the 17, 19 and 21 September ODIs, while the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will stage the five T20Is from 25 September to 3 October. While the Rawalpindi ODIs will count towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification, third position on the ICC T20I Team Rankings will be up for grabs in Lahore. The ICC World Test Championship winners will return to Pakistan next year to play Test matches. New Zealand will be the first side to visit Pakistan in what will be a bumper 2021-22 season for the local cricket fans and supporters. Following New Zealand’s tour, England’s men and women sides will play white-ball matches in Pakistan before West Indies are expected to arrive in Karachi in December for three ODIs and three T20Is. Australia is scheduled to undertake a full tour in February/March 2022. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “Series against a top-ranked side like New Zealand will be a perfect start to a mouth-watering and highly-exciting home season of red and white-ball cricket. The 2019 World Cup finalists, who are also the World Test champions and ranked third in T20Is, will draw tremendous attraction and interest from the local fans, and will reinforce Pakistan’s status as a safe and secure country. “I am pleased New Zealand Cricket has accepted our offer to play two additional Twenty20 Internationals. These will not only provide extra games to both the countries as part of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup preparations, but will also allow New Zealand players to spend extra days in Pakistan, familiarise with our culture and enjoy our hospitality. “With leading cricket playing countries resuming their tours to Pakistan in 2019, I remain confident and optimistic that the 2021-22 season starting with the series against New Zealand will prove to be a catalyst in rejuvenating our talented youngsters while attracting new fans to the game that has the most passionate following in the country.” NZC Chief Executive David White: “We’re very much looking forward to returning to Pakistan for the start of their home international season. “New Zealand was the first country outside India to tour Pakistan and we share a close relationship with the PCB. “It’s great that, after such a difficult time for Pakistan, international cricket is again being played in the country.” In the Super League, Pakistan have 40 points from nine ODIs, while New Zealand have won all three ODIs and are presently sitting pretty on 30 points. The seven top-ranked sides and World Cup hosts India will progress directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to take place in India in October/November 2023. New Zealand last toured Pakistan in November 2003 when they played five ODIs. A year before, their last Test appearance in Pakistan was at the Gaddafi Stadium in May 2002, which is remembered for Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 329 and Shoaib Akhtar’s six for 11 in the first innings that set the platform for an innings and 324-run victory. Since the 2003 ODI series, Pakistan have thrice hosted New Zealand for ODIs in the United Arab Emirates with the Black Caps winning the 2019-10 and 2014-15 series )2-1 and 3-2, respectively) and drawing the 2018-19 series 1-1. However, Pakistan won the 2009-10 and 2018-19 T20I series by 2-0 and 3-0, respectively, while the 2014-15 series was tied at 1-1. New Zealand drew the 2014-15 Test series 1-1 and won the 2018-19 series by 2-1. Series schedule 11 Sep – Arrival in Islamabad       12-14 Sep – Room isolation 15-16 Sep – Training/practice/intra-squad match 17 Sep – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi 19 Sep – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi 21 Sep – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi 25 Sep – 1st T20I, Lahore 26 Sep – 2nd T20I, Lahore 29 Sep – 3rd T20I, Lahore 1 Oct – 4th T20I, Lahore 3 Oct – 5th T20I, Lahore

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-Argentina overcame a magnificent challenge from underdogs India to book their place in the Olympic gold medal match, with 37-year-old captain Noel Barrionuevo rolling back the years by scoring two penalty corner drag-flicks to guide her team to victory. India – who finished fourth in Pool A but stunned highly-rated Australia in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win – took the lead inside the opening two minutes when Gurjit Kaur rattled the backboard with a superb penalty corner drag-flick. However, it was the contribution of veteran defender Barrionuevo that proved decisive for Las Leonas, firing her team into their third Olympic final. Argentina’s opponents in the gold medal match – which takes place on Friday 6 August at 19:00 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT +9) – will be the Netherlands, who are now just one win away from being in possession of the World, European, FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic titles. Fascinatingly, Argentina were the last team to beat the Netherlands, inflicting defeat on the Dutch during their FIH Hockey Pro League encounter in Buenos Aires in February 2020, with the Oranje claiming a 3-1 victory the following day.   The Netherlands booked their ticket to the final with yet another dazzling display at the Oi Hockey Stadium, overpowering Rio 2016 gold medallists Great Britain 5-1 in this morning’s first semi-final. It is a fifth successive Olympic final for the Oranje, giving them a chance to claim their fourth Olympic crown against the team that they defeated to the gold medal at London 2012. The bronze medal match will also take place on Friday 6 August, with Great Britain and India going head-to-head at 10:30 JST. Whilst it was the hugely experienced Argentina who ended up taking the victory in this evening’s second semi-final, India were outstanding against their illustrious opponents from start to finish. Gurjit Kaur’s stunning penalty corner drag-flick goal put them into a lead that was perhaps unexpected by many, but one they proved well worth thanks to an excellent first quarter display. Argentina pulled themselves level when Noel Barrionuevo produced the kind of goal she was famous for a decade ago, sending an unstoppable penalty corner drag-flick rocket to the right of India goalkeeper Savita. Barrionuevo struck again six minutes into the third quarter, although there was more than an element of fortune about her second goal, which clipped the shinpad of an India player to completely deceive Savita before nestling into the corner. It was Barrionuevo's 197th international goal in 344 appearances for her country, but few have been as important. India – who were rarely outplayed by the South American giants – came agonisingly close to equalising with just 20 seconds of the match remaining, as Navneet Kaur guided a deflection towards the bottom left corner only for Argentina goalkeeper Belen Succi to make a brilliant save, kicking out her right boot to put Las Leonas into the gold medal game. "I think we were prepared to have a match like this", said Argentina's Agustina Gorzelany. "We knew that India was going to do their best until the end, they reached the semi-final so that means they are a great team too. But I think, if you look throughout the tournament so far (and the fact the team improved each game), we just needed to win. That was the most important for us. And we did it." Looking ahead to the bronze medal match, India captain Rani said: "The tournament is not over yet. We still have a chance to win a bronze medal and we will see what we can work on and go into the match with a different mindset. An Olympic medal is a medal. If you win gold that is nice but still bronze is a medal, so we will fight for that medal and we will focus on the next match." On Thursday 5 August, the men’s Hockey competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will come to a climax, with the winners of the bronze, silver and gold medals being revealed. The bronze medal match between Germany and India will be played on Thursday 5 August at 10:30 JST. Germany will be aiming to match the third place finish they achieved at Rio 2016, with India looking for a first Olympic medal since Moscow 1980. The match will be umpired by Simon Taylor (NZL) and Adam Kearns (AUS), with Lim Hong Zhen (SGP) and Jakub Mejzlik (CZE) being the reserve umpire and video umpire respectively. The men’s Hockey gold medal match will be contested between the two highest ranked teams in the world, with Australia, Olympic champions at Athens 2004, set to face reigning World champions Belgium, silver medallists at Rio 2016, at 19:00 in a dream title match here at the magnificent Oi Hockey Stadium.  Marcin Grochal (POL) and Coen van Bunge (NED) will umpire the showpiece match, with German Montes de Oca (ARG) being reserve umpire and Benjamin Gontgen (GER) the video umpire. Hockey competitions Women’s semi-finals Netherlands 5-1 Great Britain Argentina 2-1 India Upcoming fixtures Men’s medal matches – 5 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Germany v India 19:00 – Gold – Australia v Belgium Women’s medal matches – 6 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Great Britain v India 19:00 – Gold – Netherlands v Argentina Final Standings – Men Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Great Britain 6 – Netherlands 7 – Argentina 8 – Spain 9 – New Zealand 10 – South Africa 11 – Japan 12 – Canada   Final Standings – Women Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Australia 6 – Germany 7 – Spain 8 – New Zealand 9 – China 10 – Ireland 11 – Japan 12 – South Africa

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-The women’s Combined qualification took place in Tokyo today, with Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret – the reigning Combined World Champion – taking the top spot and securing a place in Friday’s final, where she will be joined by seven other Sport Climbing Olympians. In the Speed round, Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw clinched the first ever women’s Speed Olympic record with a time of 6.97 seconds – a mere 0.01 second away from the current world record time of 6.96. This put the Polish climber into first position heading into the next round. French Speed specialist followed in second with a time of 7.12 seconds, and previous world record holder YiLing Song, of China, closed the round in third. It was heartbreak for current world record holder Iuliia Kaplina, of the Russian Olympic Committee, who fell on her second run and placed fifth. Combined and Boulder World Champion Janja Garnbret, of Slovenia, displayed pure prowess in the Boulder round, achieving an incredible four flashes. Garnbret was followed closely by the USA’s Brooke Raboutou, who also flashed two of the blocs, in addition to closing the first boulder in just two attempts and securing the zone on problem three. On home turf, Japan’s Akiyo Noguchi concluded the round in third position, matching Raboutou’s score of three tops and four zones. When asked her thoughts on the climbing community, Raboutou said: “I think the climbing community is one of the most special things about climbing. Everyone is genuinely happy for each other and wants each other to succeed.” The closing round of the women’s Combined qualification, Lead, saw the youngest Olympian in the women’s Sport Climbing field take first place. Aged just 17, Chaehyun Seo of South Korea reached a score of 40+, which after a strong performance in Boulder, earned the young climber a spot in Friday’s final. Austria’s Jessica Pilz achieved second place in Lead with a score of 33+, followed by Japan’s Akiyo Noguchi with 30+. At the end of the qualifying round, it was Garnbret who gained a position at the top of the scoreboard ahead of the women’s Combined final, in a bid to maintain her Combined crown. We asked Garnbret her thoughts on the Sport Climbing walls within the Tokyo 2020 Aomi Urban Sports Park – developed by IFSC partner Entre-Prises – and she said: "It's amazing. I love the Lead wall, I love the Boulder wall. Speed wall is the same, so it's great. Venue is by top the best venue ever. It would be even more amazing if we had spectators, because then it would be insane, but nevertheless it's amazing." The full list of Olympians heading into the final is as follows: 1. Janja Garnbret (SLO) 2. Chaehyun Seo (KOR) 3. Miho Nonaka (JPN) 4. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) 5. Brooke Raboutou (USA) 6. Jessica Pilz (Austria) 7. Aleksandra Miroslaw (POL) 8. Anouck Jaubert (FRA) The conclusion of the women’s Combined qualification event marks the end of a glittering Sport Climbing career for Great Britain’s Shauna Coxsey, who announced in June 2021 that she would be retiring from competition after the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Coxsey won the overall Boulder World Cup title in both 2016 and 2017, and holds 30 International Federation of Sport Climbing World Cup medals in total, as well as two World Championship medals. The Brit bowed out from professional Sport Climbing with a commendable tenth place at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. When asked what’s next, Coxsey said: “I think I have a lot of options for what comes next. Thinking about this whole experience it's almost overwhelming. It’s such a pivotal time for my sport, and it's such a huge privilege to be part of it. It’s so surreal and I don't think it'll sink in until afterwards. “So, next I'll definitely focus on rock climbing for a while. That's almost what I did five years ago when the sport got announced in the Olympic Games and I made the decision to try and qualify for the Olympics. I put that on hold and it feels like the right time to do that now.”

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (August 4, 2021):-Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup 2021 will start from August 8 at  Mari Petroleum Astroturf Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi under the auspices of Mari Petroleum Sports Department under the banner of Pakistan Hockey Federation, as top eight teams will take part in the 7-day fixture. The final will be played on Independent Day August 14 at same venue. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed Olympian Ayaz Mahmood as the director tournament while Rashid Butt will be the umpire’s manager. Federation appointed all umpires and technical officials in accordance with the rules of the International Hockey Federation. The 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist, Pride of Performance, Olympian Ayaz Mahmood has been appointed Tournament Director by PHF while International Technical Officers Mohammad Shafiq Bhatti (Lahore) and Mohammad Yaseen (Rawalpindi) will be the Assistant Tournament Directors. Tournament Officers include Dr. SA Majid (Karachi), M. Javed Sadiq (MEPCO), Hamza Tufail (Peshawar), Aslam Shah (Okara), Mohammad Ali (Quetta), Ikram-ul-Haq (Nankana Sahib), Ghulam Mustafa (Hyderabad), Murtaza. Bhatti (MPCL), Zulfiqar Hussain (Sukkur), Mohammad Ashraf (Islamabad), Haroon Saeed (DG Khan), Naseer Ahmad Mughal (Islamabad), Nisar Aslam (MPCL), Haji Naeem (M PCL), Mohammad Muneeb (MPCL), Dawar Ali (MPCL), Mehboob Alam (MPCL) and Shahid Gul (Faisalabad) will perform their professional duties during the event. FIH Umpires Manager Rashid Mehmood Butt has been assigned as the event's umpires manager while Ehsanul Haq (Rawalpindi) and Dilawar Hussain Bhatti (WAPDA) will be the assistant umpires’ manager. The umpiring panel will consist of Abdul Manan (Hyderabad), Mahmood Ali (PIA), Haroon Rashid (Peshawar), Sabteen Raza (National Bank), Abdul Wali (Quetta), Mohammad Imran (Bahawalpur), Takrim Iftikhar (Karachi), Mohammad Bilal (Army), Asad Abbas (Army) and Zahid Hameed (WAPDA). Lt. Col. R Asif Naz Khokhar has been appointed as the Coordinator of Pakistan Hockey Federation while Habib-ur-Rehman Satti will be the Assistant Coordinator. Pakistan Hockey Federation appoints Syed Ali Abbas as media coordinator of the event. Event Officers Meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Tournament Director Olympian Ayaz Mahmood on August 7 at Mari Petroleum Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi at 3:00 pm while Managers Coaches Meeting will be held at 4:00 pm. Under the auspices of Mari Petroleum Sports Department, the organizing secretary of this magnificent mega-domestic event will be Sports Consultant Mari Petroleum & former Manager National Hockey Team Lt. Col. R Mohsin Ali Khan. The top eight teams of Pakistan Hockey Federation rankings are participating in the event include Pakistan Wapda, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sui Southern Gas, Pakistan Navy, Mari Petroleum Company Limited, Pakistan Air Force, Punjab and Pakistan Army.

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-The Netherlands are just one victory away from being in possession of the World, European, FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic titles after producing yet another dazzling display at the Oi Hockey Stadium, overpowering Rio 2016 gold medallists Great Britain 5-1 in this morning’s first semi-final. It is a fifth successive Olympic final for the Oranje, giving them a chance to claim their fourth Olympic crown. The Netherlands’ opponents in the gold medal match will be the winner of this evening’s second semi-final between Argentina and surprise package India, which takes place at 19:00 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9). Las Leonas are aiming to reach the Olympic final for a third time, having claimed silver at both the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympic Games. India’s sensational 1-0 quarter-final triumph over Pool B winners Australia provides enough evidence that they should not be underestimated.  Great Britain made a superb start to the contest and fully matched the top ranked team in world hockey throughout the first quarter, with the defences of both teams impressing before the Dutch took a stranglehold on the game in the second period with two goals in 60 seconds. Rising star Felice Albers slotted home after Laurien Leurink carved open the British defence, with Marloes Keetels smashing home a second with a thumping hit from the top of the circle that gave GB goalkeeper Maddie Hinch little hope of saving. The Netherlands kicked on further in the third quarter thanks to a sliding penalty corner deflection from Maria Verschoor and a second for Albers, who showed her predatory instincts to attack a cross from the left and guide her touch into the roof of Great Britain’s goal to take the score to 4-0. Giselle Ansley pulled a goal back for Great Britain with a deflected penalty corner before competition top scorer Frederique Matla put the game to bed, netting a penalty corner for her ninth goal in seven matches. While Great Britain can no longer defend the title they won in 2016, they still have a chance to claim a third successive Olympic medal (bronze - London 2012, gold – Rio 2016) on Friday 6 August when they take on either Argentina or India in the bronze medal match at 10:30 JST. "England (Great Britain) put a lot of pressure on us in the first quarter and we had to invest a lot of time and energy on creating space for us to play the game that we needed to play and I think we did that very well", said Netherlands coach Alyson Annan in the post-match press conference. "We welcomed the pressure, which is a very positive thing for us to be welcoming pressure in a semi-final. Once we opened the game up, scored two quick goals in the second quarter we were at our game and played very well for the rest of the match." Great Britain's Hannah Martin said: “We are disappointed. We wanted to keep it tight as long as we could and unfortunately those two goals came in quite quick succession. We knew we could get it back but unfortunately it wasn’t to be today.” It was a milestone match for Great Britain’s Shona McCallin, who today made her 100th international appearance. Women’s semi-finals Netherlands 5-1 Great Britain Upcoming fixtures All times Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9) Women’s semi-finals – 4 August 2021 19:00 – Argentina v India Men’s medal matches – 5 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Germany v India 19:00 – Gold – Australia v Belgium Women’s medal matches – 6 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Great Britain v TBC 19:00 – Gold – Netherlands v TBC Final Standings – Men Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Great Britain 6 – Netherlands 7 – Argentina 8 – Spain 9 – New Zealand 10 – South Africa 11 – Japan 12 – Canada Final Standings – Women Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Australia 6 – Germany 7 – Spain 8 – New Zealand 9 – China 10 – Ireland 11 – Japan 12 – South Africa

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-The athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have elected Pau Gasol, Maja W?oszczowska, Federica Pellegrini and Yuki Ota to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Athletes’ Commission (AC), for a term ending at the Olympic Games LA28. The newly elected members join the Commission to represent the athlete voice within the Olympic Movement. Between 13 July and 3 August, 6,825 athletes voted in the IOC AC election at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, representing a participation rate of 61.27 per cent, one of the highest in the history of AC elections, the first of which was held at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996. With the highest number of voting stations for any IOC AC election, athletes had the opportunity to vote in 11 locations, including the Tokyo Olympic Village, satellite villages and other official Tokyo 2020 accommodation sites. In total, 30 candidates, from 30 different countries and representing 19 sports, stood for election. IOC AC Chair Kirsty Coventry remarked: “It is fantastic to see the high turnout of athletes participating in the Athletes’ Commission election. We had an impressive list of candidates, and I want to thank all of the candidates for putting up their hands to represent athletes from around the world. Congratulations and welcome to the four new members. The work and responsibility of the Commission is as important as ever to represent and support athletes in all stages of their lives. With these new members and those already on the Commission, I know that the IOC Athletes’ Commission is in very good hands to build on the great work done over the years. Remember, you now represent all athletes from around the world, so do your best to better understand all viewpoints, listen, act and support them to the best of your ability.” The new members Pau Gasol, Basketball, Spain – Five-time Olympian, silver medallist at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, bronze medallist at Rio 2016; world champion in 2006. Maja W?oszczowska, Cycling, Poland – Four-time Olympian, silver medallist at Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016; world champion in 2010, silver medallist in 2004, 2005, 2011 and 2013. Federica Pellegrini, Aquatics, Italy – Five-time Olympian, Olympic champion at Beijing 2008, silver medallist at Athens 2004; world champion in 2009, 2011, 2017 and 2019, silver medallist in 2005, 2013 and 2015, bronze medallist in 2007. Yuki Ota, Fencing, Japan – Four-time Olympian, silver medallist at Beijing 2008 and London 2012; world champion in 2015, bronze medallist in 2010. Outgoing members IOC AC Chair Kirsty Coventry, Vice-Chair Danka Barteková, Tony Estanguet and James Tomkins OAM, elected by their peers during the Olympic Games London 2012, have completed their terms on the Commission. In addition, an appointed member of the Commission, Stefan Holm, is also ending his term. During their tenure, these athletes have played an integral part in strengthening support for athletes within the Olympic Movement as well as the development and implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020. A new Chair and Vice-Chair will now be elected by the IOC AC members on 6 August, with the Chair also set to become a member of the IOC Executive Board, representing athletes at the highest level within the IOC. Third highest turnout for an AC election