SB News KARACHI (February 17, 2020):-As many as 350 artists will perform in the opening ceremony of the HBL PSL 2020, which will be held at Karachi’s National Stadium on Thursday. The metropolitan city is expected to be set alight as artists from different music genres – Sufi, pop, rock, bhangra and folk – will come together to perform at what will be the biggest opening ceremony in the history of the HBL PSL. Thousands of fans in the stadium will be on the edge of their seats and millions around the globe will be glued to their television sets as world renowned artists like Abrar-ul-Haq, Aima Baig, Abu Mohammad, Fareed Ayaz, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sajjad Ali, Sanam Marvi and rock band Soch will embellish the ceremony with their breath-taking performances, while Ali Azmat, Arif Lohar, Haroon and Asim Azhar will perform HBL PSL 2020’s anthem Tayyar Hain. The glittery ceremony, which will be held before the opening match of the tournament between defending champions Quetta Gladiators and two-time champion Islamabad United, will also include riveting acts and a spectacular fireworks show. PCB Director – Commercial, Babar Hamid, said: “It is only befitting that a grand and glamorous opening ceremony is held to welcome Pakistan’s very own HBL PSL in the country. We have brought together all the top artists in the country to set the tone of what will be an epic tournament.” The ceremony, which will be approximately an hour long, will kick-off at 6.45pm. The toss for the first match will be held at 8.30pm, while the much-anticipated first ball of the HBL PSL 2020 will be delivered at 9pm.

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (February 17, 2020):-Tajammul & Dilawar Abbas Memorial ITF Pakistan started on Monday at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad. Tariq Mehmood Murtaza, President Islamabad Tennis Association and Chairman Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) graced the occasion a chief guest at the opening ceremony.  Also, Lt. Col. Gul  Rehman Secretary PTF, all foreign players and coaches were participated in the opening ceremony. On the opening day 13 matches of Boys Singles were decided and all the seeded players moved in to the second round. The best encounter of the day was played between Subhan Bin Salik (PAK) and Ook Aoi of Japan; In the first set score went up to 4-4all as both the players hold their respective serves. Ook Aoi won the first set at 6-4 by breaking 10th game of Subhan in which he hit one double fault. In the second set Subhan took the lead 5-1 by breaking 1st and 3rd game of Ook Aoi (JPN);  Japanese player fought back and reduced the lead of Subhan by braking 8th game and holding his next two game 7 & 9 of second set. Subhan won the second set at 6-4 by holding his own serve with the help of one Ace. In the final set Subhan again build up the lead 3-1 by breaking 1st game of Ook Aoi in which he made three double fault and won the final set and match at 6-3 by breaking last game. The match last 1 hr 30 minutes.  The 4th seed Ahmed Kamil of Pakistan struggle hard to win his match against Agha Raahim of UK in a well contested and entertaining two set match 6-4, 6-4. Kerem Ozlale (TUR) made the first upset in the tournament when he eliminated 7th seed Zalan Khan of Pakistan in another good match of the day with score of 6-3 7-5. Results: Chun Tang (TPE) beat Huzaima Abdul Rehman (PAK) 6-2, 6-0; Birtan Duran (TUR) beat Bilal Asim (PAK) 6-3, 6-1; Souta Oomura (JPN) beat Sami Zeb Khan (PAK) 6-0 6-0; Nikita Bortnichek (RUS) beat Kuan Chang Huang (TPE) 6-2, 6-3; Ahmed Kamil (PAK) beat Agha Raahim (GBR) 6-4, 6-1; Emir Toglukdemir (TUR) beat Ahmed Nael Qureshi 6-1, 6-3; Aryan Giri (NEP) beat Araiz Malik (PAK) 6-2, 6-3; Qwyn Quittner (AUS) beat Curtis Hong Tseng Tan (HKG) 6-0, 6-0; KeremOzlale (TUR) beat Zalan Khan (PAK) 6-3, 7-5; Tuna Nergizoglu (TUR) beat Abdullah Ahmad (GBR) 6-0, 6-0; IustinBelea (ROU) beat Farman Shakeel (PAK) 6-1, 6-3, Subhan Bin Salik (PAK) beat Ook Aoi (JPN 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Abdullah (PAK) beat Min-Hung Kao (TPE) 6-2, 6-3.

SB News Lahore (February 16, 2020);-The HBL Pakistan Super League continues to make an impact on and off the field and like last year it is set to make another humble contribution in the fight against Childhood Cancer and Breast Cancer. The Pakistan Cricket Board has joined hands with the Indus Hospital, Karachi, and Pink Ribbon Pakistan to observe Childhood Cancer Awareness Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Day, respectively, during the fifth edition of the HBL PSL. The Childhood Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on 22 February and the Breast Cancer Awareness Day will be marked on 7 March and on both occasions teams, match officials and commentators will be involved in the support of the two campaigns. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “It is a humble contribution from the PCB in raising awareness against cancer; it is our collective responsibility to help the cause as much as possible. The PCB fully understands its corporate social responsibility and we are currently in partnerships both with the Shahid Afridi Foundation and the British Asian Trust and will continue to support genuine causes in various sectors across the country. “Last year, both Childhood Cancer Awareness Day in Dubai and the Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Karachi were fully supported by the teams, match officials, commentators besides receiving the support of the fans. I am sure we will have their backing this year too and we are looking forward to 22 February and 7 March. We expect the media and fans to once again help us promote the initiative while spreading the message far and wide.” Childhood Cancer Awareness Day: The Childhood Cancer Awareness Day was first observed in the HBL PSL on 15 February 2019 in Dubai. The four participating teams Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators wore gold ribbons along with the match officials and commentators. The winning captains had shared their team shirts with a cancer patient. For the HBL PSL 2020, the Childhood Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on Saturday, 22 February, in both Karachi and Lahore, the venues of the two league matches that day. At the National Stadium Karachi, defending champions Quetta Gladiators take on former winners Peshawar Zalmi in a repeat of last year’s final. The day game will begin at 2pm. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will then host a match between two-time champions Islamabad United and Multan Sultans. The night match will begin at 7pm. All four teams, match officials and match commentators at both venues will wear gold ribbons, synonymous with Childhood Cancer Awareness campaigns. The stumps in use for both matches will also be branded in gold, while a cancer patient will be invited at the post-match presentation ceremonies of both matches where they will be presented a memorabilia signed shirt from the winning captains. Childhood cancer awareness messages would be displayed on the digital screens placed at the two venues to create awareness about the disease aimed at educating the spectators. Breast Cancer Awareness Day: The Breast Cancer Awareness Day was observed on 11 March last year at the National Stadium. Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi were the four teams that took the field in a double-header that day. The teams along with match officials and commentators wore the pink ribbons in support of the Breast Cancer Awareness program. For the HBL PSL 2020, the Breast Cancer Awareness Day will be observed on 7 March in both Rawalpindi and Lahore, venues of the two league matches that day. At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Islamabad United will take on Peshawar Zalmi in what is expected to be an absorbing battle between the two former champions. The day game will begin at 2pm. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will then host a match between Lahore Qalandars, the home side, and Gladiators in a contest which will be played under lights. All four teams, match officials and match commentators at both venues will wear pink ribbons, synonymous with Breast Cancer Awareness campaigns. The stumps in use for both matches will also be branded pink. Breast cancer awareness messages would be displayed on the digital screens placed at the two venues for creating awareness and sharing valuable information about the disease.

SB News KARACHI (February 16, 2020):-For what will be the first-ever trophy unveiling ceremony on the Pakistani soil, squash icon Jahangir Khan will bring the HBL PSL 2020 trophy at the National Stadium, Karachi, on Wednesday, 19 February, for its unveiling. Jahangir, in an international-styled ceremony, will carry the silverware to the field of play and hand it over to the defending captain Sarfaraz Ahmed – of Quetta Gladiators – after which the brand new trophy will be unveiled by PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani in the presence of six franchise owners and captains. Jahangir Khan said: “It will be truly a remarkable moment for me to play a role in the unveiling of the HBL PSL 2020 trophy. I am looking forward to the ceremony. “The PCB has done a wonderful job in the resumption of top-flight cricket in the country and the success of the HBL PSL 2020 is going to send a profound message to the world that Pakistan is safe. I hope that with the success of this event, international teams belonging to other sports will also travel to Pakistan and this will spark a sporting culture which we have been missing over the last few decades. “I wish the PCB all the best for what will be an exciting tournament. HBL PSL keeps every Pakistani glued to their TV sets and I will be following it keenly.” For his extraordinary achievements in squash courts all over the world, Jahangir’s name has become synonymous to the game. The great Pakistani athlete holds a record for the longest winning streak for any sportsman with 555 consecutive wins over almost six years. At the age of only 17, Jahangir, the six-time World Champion, became the youngest player to bag a British Open title.  PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “It is befitting that a sporting great like Jahangir Khan will bring the trophy to the ceremony to mark the momentous occasion, which will see an entire HBL PSL season being held in Pakistan. “I am thankful to Jahangir for becoming a part of the ceremony and providing the PCB the opportunity to honour a legend like him. “The HBL PSL is where it belongs and I can feel the excitement amongst the fans, who have turned this into the biggest brand in Pakistan and one of the most watched T20 leagues around the world.” The trophy, designed by Ottewill Silversmits, a U.K. based manufacturer, is studded with a three-dimensional star and a crescent on top, which represent Pakistan. The 65-centimetre-long trophy weighs eight kilogrammes and has multi-coloured enamel strips around it to encapsulate different colours of the vibrant nation. From this season, the HBL PSL trophy will be perpetual and each year the winning team will have their name engraved on it. The trophy unveiling ceremony will start around 3.30pm.

By  BIPIN   DANI    Former Pakistan opening batsman Hanif Mohammad in "remembered" at Pakistan Cricket Board's High Performance Centre.  The new sign board with the legendary batsman's name has been displayed at PCB's High Performance Centre at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday. This was revealed by late Hanif Mohammad's son, Shoaib Mohammad. Speaking exclusively over telephone from Karachin on Friday morning, Shoaib Mohammad says, "the HPC was inaugurated by me few years ago. Now it is being recognised by my late father".  "I appreciate that they  acknowledge to put up an academy under my dad's name".  Hanif Mohammad, who played 55 Tests with the individual highest score of 337 runs passed away at the age of 81 in 2016.  "We would have appreciated if they had allotted a piece of land which was promises for a cricket academy.  "Now finally when they have put up a sign board after two years imagine the the legend's name is not at the top but somewhere in the middle. Wasim Bari who is in charge of the stadium has completely overlooked the fact ..leave alone a request during his life time is yet to be allotted", Shoaib Mohammad, who also played more than 100 international matches (Tests-45, ODIs' 63), signed off.  

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (February 15, 2020):-Whether it’s Katherine Brunt’s three wickets in England’s 2009 victory or Stafanie Taylor shining for the West Indies in 2016, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup has provided cricket aficionados with plenty of fond memories to savour. Members of the Australia Women's team pose with the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 trophy during the fixture announcement event. We’ve seen three winners, six countries host and countless memorable moments made since the inaugural ICC Women’s T20 World Cup back in 2009 With 11 years having passed since the inaugural tournament in England, we’ve witnessed plenty of thrills and spills, but a few moments stand head and shoulders above the rest. There’ll be few better Women’s T20 World Cup memories for England fans than those of the inaugural 2009 tournament – and what better way to make your mark on the world stage than by lifting the trophy on home soil? England and New Zealand contested the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s, with the host nation bowling out the White Ferns for 85 thanks to Brunt’s opening spell of three for six. England shone from start to finish, with Claire Taylor taking the Player of the Series accolade while Holly Colvin finished with a tournament-high nine wickets. Colvin and Taylor were joined by Charlotte Edwards, Sarah Taylor and Laura Marsh in the ICC Team of the Tournament. As Women’s T20 World Cup Finals go, there will never be a moment quite like Australia’s last-ball victory in 2010. Australia began their unparalleled run of World Cup success ten years ago when they edged out New Zealand by three runs in Barbados - but if it hadn’t been for Ellyse Perry’s right foot, it could have been a very different story. Sophie Devine was on strike with New Zealand needing five to win from the final ball and hammered a powerful drive towards the boundary from Perry’s delivery. But the Australian - who has also played in a football World Cup for her country - somehow managed to stick out her right foot and deflect the ball to mid-on to concede a single and take her team to their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup victory. The tournament also saw West Indies’ Deandra Dottin score the first women’s T20I century, 112 not out against South Africa, with the 38 balls needed to bring up three figures still the fastest in WT20Is. 2012 - Cameron shines as Australia clinch second title There was a familiar feel to 2012 as Australia clinched a narrow victory, beating England in the final by four runs in Sri Lanka. Jess Cameron shone with a match-winning 45 in Colombo, while Julie Hunter impressed throughout by taking 11 wickets in the tournament. The highest individual score fell to England’s Sarah Taylor with 65 not out against the eventual champions in the group stage, while Dottin was once again instrumental in West Indies’ route to the semi-finals, hitting an unbeaten 58 in victory over New Zealand. 2014 - Bangladesh break the mould It was a case of déjà vu in 2014 as Australia celebrated their third successive Women’s T20 World Cup title with a six-wicket win over England in the final. But the tournament in Bangladesh had so much more to offer than more just delight for those in yellow. The hosts were unable to progress beyond the group stage but their maiden win on debut was certainly one of the tournament highlights, Rumana Ahmed’s side edging out Sri Lanka by three runs in Sylhet. It was captain Rumana who put in a Player of the Match performance, hitting 41 off 34 balls – a feat she and her country will be eager to recreate in Australia this month. 2016 - West Indies the winners! The 2016 Women’s T20 World Cup was one like no other as the Australian dominance was broken and a new world champion emerged. Having lost the semi-final on three previous occasions, the West Indies finally broke their curse by making the showpiece in Kolkata - the match that changed the narrative around women’s T20 cricket. Stafanie Taylor’s side secured their maiden world title in stunning fashion - overcoming reigning champions Australia was one thing but chasing down 149 runs to win the match by eight wickets was truly something else. The tournament is one that will live long in the memories of West Indies supporters and players alike, with several names writing their names in the history books on the world stage. Captain Taylor broke a tournament record by scoring 246 runs, while Anisa Mohammed became the first player, male or female, to take 100 T20I wickets. 2018 - Perry rewrites history with final performance In 2018, Australia were back on top - and they made sure they secured their fourth Women’s T20 World Cup title in stunning fashion. Most memorable may be Ashleigh Gardner’s Player of the Match performance in the eight-wicket final victory over England, the all-rounder scoring 33 runs and taking three wickets, but once again Meg Lanning’s side was full of stand-out performers. Alyssa Healy blew Ireland away with her 21-ball half century in the group stages, while Perry was as instrumental as ever as she became the first Australian, male or female, to take 100 T20I wickets when she trapped Nat Sciver lbw in the final. If the 2020 edition is anything like the six tournaments gone by, then the world is surely in for a cracker. With Thailand making their debut on the global stage, teenage debutants looking to make an impact and the prospect of a world record crowd for a women’s sporting event being broken at the MCG on 8 March, this year’s tournament has all the makings of being the best one yet.

Pakistan have never qualified for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup knockout stages but experienced batter Javeria Khan insists they now have the tools needed to progress. Pakistan have yet to hit their potential at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, winning six of 24 games at the global showpiece Javeria has 97 T20I caps to her name and skippered the side at the 2018 edition Pakistan get their campaign underway against the West Indies on 26 February in Canberra Bismah Maroof’s side have featured in all six editions of the global event and are yet to advance beyond the group stages, winning only six games in the process. Sri Lanka are the only other ever-presents to have never reached the last four. But Javeria, 31, says tussling with top sides England, South Africa and New Zealand in bilateral series will help her side convert promise into performances. “We are closing the gap with every match we play against the top teams,” she said. “We would come to World Cups to play India and Australia with no experience of facing them outside tournaments. How could we grow? “The ICC have done this tremendously well with the introduction of the ICC Women’s Championship. Now, we are playing big teams and that’s why we’re gradually improving. “We used to get hammered by Australia and England but recently, we’ve been in a position to win matches against them and mentality is the main difference. “We have the talent, we just have to manage pressure at crucial times. There is a golden chance that we can reach the semi-finals.” Since the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2018, Pakistan have shown promise and beat Bangladesh 3-0 in a bilateral series, while also drawing 2-2 with South Africa. Javeria’s opening partner for their first group game against West Indies will likely be either 15-year-old Ayeesha Naseem, awaiting her T20I debut, or Muneeba Ali who hasn’t featured since 2018. Fielding and fitness are other long-standing bugbears for Pakistan, who underwent a ten-day conditioning camp in their homeland to prepare for the tournament. Javeria - who will play in her seventh T20 World Cup this month - knows her nation must step up in the field to achieve their semi-final dream. “The improvement is not dramatic, but we are growing gradually in the field,” she said. “We have fielded better in the last year, compared to how we used to. Fielding turns the game. “We have grown and there will be improvement in our unit. If we want to win, we have to field well and the girls must realise this.”

SB News LAHORE (February 15, 2020);-Since its advent the HBL Pakistan Super League has brought forward some riveting on-field rivalries and contests between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi have kept the fans at the edge of their seats. Gladiators and Zalmi are the two most successful teams in the history of HBL PSL with success percentages of 61.90 and 58.69, respectively, and both the teams have bagged an HBL PSL title once. After two nail-biting play-offs between them, they faced-off in the 2017 edition’s final, which was played at Pakistan’s home of cricket, Qaddafi Stadium, and was the first HBL PSL match on the Pakistan soil. Peshawar Zalmi, captained by Darren Sammy, were the comfortable winners in that match by 58 runs. Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Gladiators avenged the defeat last year as they secured an eight-wicket win over Zalmi in front of a rousing Karachi crowd at the National Stadium. Both Gladiators and Zalmi have played three finals each and there has been no HBL PSL final in which either of the sides hasn’t featured. Because of their brilliant record and star-power in the ranks, both teams enjoy massive fan following stretching across Pakistan and the two group-stage contests between them on 22 February in Karachi and 5 March in Rawalpindi are expected to fill the stadiums to their capacity. Past results (matches 14; Gladiators have won eight; Zalmi have won five; one ended in no-result): The two teams have produced some of the most epic battles in the play-off stages over the course of the four seasons. The rivalry between these two sides kicked-off when they met in the first-ever Qualifier of the HBL PSL – in 2016 – when Gladiators beat Zalmi by one run to secure a berth in the final. Entering that contest the two sides had honours even as both had come out victorious once in the two group matches. They met again in the 2017 edition’s Qualifier with the result eerily the same – Gladiators’ victory by one run. Zalmi, three days later, got better of Karachi Kings in the second Eliminator to secure a berth in the final and subsequently secured their first-ever HBL PSL title by beating Gladiators. The next season, they faced off in an Eliminator after Zalmi and Gladiators finished at third and fourth spots respectively. The margin of the result was the same – one run – as in the previous two editions’ Qualifiers, but this time Zalmi were at the winning end. Similar to the 2017 edition, the two teams met four times in the 2019 edition. Gladiators secured a 10-run win in the Qualifier and four days later they beat Zalmi, this time by eight wickets, to secure their maiden HBL PSL title. Major players in the two squads for the HBL PSL 2020 season: With an aim to add another HBL PSL trophy in their cabinet, the two sides have assembled strong squads. Peshawar Zalmi boast best performers of the HBL PSL in their side in the likes of Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz who have the most runs (1,286 in 47 matches) and the most wickets (65 in 45 matches) respectively. Zalmi’s batting unit is enhanced by the inclusion of Shoaib Malik - who has 2,309 runs in T20I cricket, the most for Pakistan – and Tom Banton, who on the back of prolific white-ball form made ODI and T20I debuts for England recently. Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Imam-ul-Haq, who finished as the fifth-highest run-getter in the last edition with 341 runs including four half-centuries, form the core of Zalmi’s batting unit. In the supplementary category Zalmi have included the exciting young opening batsman Haider Ali who represented Pakistan U19 in the recently concluded ICC U19 Cricket World Cup played in South Africa. The bowling unit will be spearheaded by Wahab. Hasan Ali, who will make return to competitive cricket after recovering from injury, and left-armer Rahat Ali will further add depth to the pace-bowling. Mohammad Mohsin is an exciting inclusion in the Zalmi line-up. The 26-year-old leggie took nine wickets at an average of 19.44 in the National T20 Cup in Faisalabad in October last year. They also have in their ranks two exciting teenage bowlers, left-arm-spinner Aamir Ali and fast-bowler Amir Khan, both featured in Pakistan’s U19 World Cup side that finished third in South Africa. Gladiators also have an equally exciting line-up with Shane Watson, who was the player-of-the-tournament in 2019, expected to deliver goods once again. Jason Roy, one of the most successful white-ball top-order batsmen in international cricket, Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed form the batting core. In the bowling department all eyes will be on Naseem Shah, who will make his maiden HBL PSL appearance, and Mohammad Hasnain, who delivered the fastest ball of the previous edition and took three wickets for 30 runs in the final at Karachi’s National Stadium last year. The two youngsters will have the support of left-arm quick Tymal Mills, while the spin-attack will be led by Mohammad Nawaz and Fawad Ahmed. They also have an U19 rookie in their ranks. Karachi-born Aarish Ali Khan also represented Pakistan U19 in South Africa. He has the pedigree to make an impression as an emerging force this season. With the HBL PSL being held in Pakistan for the first time, the excitement is at its peak and it continues to grow with every passing day. When these two sides come face-to-face, the fans are expected to be served with thrilling matches. And, if history is any measure, they will be in the play-offs, with the matches expected to shatter nerves again especially if they are decided on the last ball. Squads: Peshawar Zalmi: Platinum – Hasan Ali, Kieron Pollard (from 7 March) and Wahab Riaz Diamond – Kamran Akmal, Tom Banton, Shoaib Malik and Carlos Brathwaite (till 7 March) Gold – Darren Sammy, Imam-ul-Haq and Liam Dawson Silver – Umar Amin, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahat Ali, Lewis Gregory and Adil Amin Emerging – Amir Khan and Amir Ali Supplementary – Liam Livingstone and Haider Ali uetta Gladiators: Platinum – Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain) and Jason Roy Diamond – Shane Watson, Ahmed Shehzad and Ben Cutting Gold – Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hasnain and Fawad Ahmed Silver – Ahsan Ali, Naseem Shah, Sohail Khan, Tymal Mills, Abdul Nasir Emerging – Arish Ali Khan and Azam Khan Supplementary – Keemo Paul (from 7 March), Khurram Manzoor and Zahid Mehmood (till 7 March)

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (February 14, 2020):-Sarah Mehboob quashed Sara Mansoor 2-0 in the final of 33rd Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championship 2020 at Syed Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, Islamabad on Friday. Both top national girls were looking tired after a hectic tour of New Zealand. Final score-line was 7-6 and 6-3. Sarah Mahboob built up the winning lead 2-0 by breaking 2nd game of Sara Mansoor. Sara leveled the score 2-2all by breaking third game of Sarah Maboob and the score went up to 6-6 all as both the players hold their respective services. There was tough fight seen in the tie break as score went up to 5 points all; at this stage Sara Mansoor hit the ball out and then hit the ball into the net. Sarah Mahboob was in fine touch in the second set and did not allow her opponent to settle down with her powerful forehand shorts and won the second set and tile at 6-3. She got the winner prize of Rs.30,000 whereas Sara Mansoor pocketed Rs.18,000 Sarah and Sara Mansoor also winner of the Ladies Doubles title. Tariq Mehmood Murtaza, President Islamabad Tennis Association and Chairman Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) graced the occasion as chief guest and distributed the prizes among the winner and runner-up. Khawar Hyat Khan, SEVP PTF, Lt. Col. Gul Rehman, Secretary PTF, Hameed-ul-Haq and foreign players of ITF Juniors witness the Ladies Final match.

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (February 13, 2020):-Pakistan Council for Traditional Sports and Games (PCTSG) in its General Body meeting held at Islamabad Club decided to revive the Traditional Sports and Games in Pakistan. Khalil Ahmed Khan, the President of International Council for Traditional Sports and Games, chaired this meeting, which was attended by Senator Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif. Also, all stakeholders from federal, provincial governments, traditional sports associations and organizations also attending this meeting. The chair briefed about UNESCO’s initiative for revival of traditional sports and games its importance for Pakistan. He expressed concern over our fading trend of traditional sports in the country and stressed the need to build synergies among the stakeholders to harmonize diversity of cultures of the country, empowering youth and women through revival of TSG. He said that creating awareness, holding national and international events, documentations and research would be the priority of the Council. Senator Mohammad Ali Saif said that engagement of youth in rural and urban diversity of traditional sports in different provinces and regions of the country could lead to national cohesion.  He assured his support for revival of TSG in the country for national cohesion and projecting soft image of the country. The representatives from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO, KPK Sports Board, Islamabad Capital Territory and other stakeholders appreciated the efforts of UNESCO for revival of TSG at international national. They also shared their views about revival of TSG and showed their willingness to support this very important neglected aspect of the society. The Council also approved the holding of International Traditional and Sports Festival at Gawadar. Also, stressed the need to create awareness about TSG, its documentation and holding of events. The Statutes of the PCTSG was approved unanimously by the house. The Executive Board of the following members has been elected. Shafiqat Mehmood, Federal Minister for Education and Training has been nominated to hold the office of President. Senator Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, Senior Vice President, Azam Efandi Brig. ( R ), Hussain Ahmed Madni, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Malik Mehrban Ali, Syed Khalid Hussain, Mohammad Shahid Islam, Sajida Nasreen, Mian Salman Islam, Mohammad Tariq Abbasi, Syed Ghayur Hussain are elected Vice Presidents. Barrister Iftikhar Raza Khan, Barrister Iftikhar Raza Khan, Secretary General, Abu Zafar Sadiq, Associate Secretary, Haider Ali Daud, Press Secretary, Kazim Ali Chagezi, Finance Secretary, Mohammad Raza Khan Advocate, Mohammad Ali Bukhari, Advocate, Nisar Ahmed Shahwani, Col Rtd. Rizwan Ahmed, Dr. Nauman Saeed, Tariq Ali, Furqan Ahmed Khan, Umar Habib, Mohammad Umar, Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi, Shakil Yousuf, Khalil Jabran, Wasim Abbas have been elected as Executive Members.