Asjad Iqbal, Mohammad Naseem, Sohail Shehzad, and Awais Munair reach in semifinalsSports Bulletin Report KARACHI: Asjad Iqbal (NBP), Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Punjab), Sohail Shehzad (Sindh), and Awais Ullah Munair (Punjab) moved into the semifinals of the ongoing 48th NBP National Snooker Championship after winning their respective quarterfinals here at the Snooker Arena of NBP Sports Complex on Sunday.I n the first quarter final, Asjad Iqbal of National Bank defeated Punjab’s Shahid Aftab 5-4 after a tough competition. The frame score of his victory was 58-26, 0-81, 28-70, 39-68, 71-42, 68-30, 58- 71, 77-42 and 68-37. In the second quarter-final, Naseem Akhtar of Punjab beat the former world champion Ahsan Ramzan of Punjab by 5-3. The frame score of his victory was 1-72, 8- 71, 74-01, 68-58, 58-07, 57-39, 50-74 and 87-24. In the penultimate quarterfinal, Sindh's Sohail Shehzad outplayed number two seed Islamabad's Shan Namat by 5-3 and reached in semi-final. Sohail Shehzad's winning frame score was 69-14, 77-30, 13-65, 82-04, 71-02, 32-99, 48-52 and 64-17. Shan Namat played a break of 99 in the sixth frame.In the fourth and last quarter-final, Owaisullah Munir of Punjab made a brilliant comeback despite losing the first four frames beat Abdul Javed of Islamabad by 5-4 and paved the way for the semi-final. Owaisullah Munir’s winning frame scores was 30-68, 0-96, 1-89, 12-70, 78-07, 98-01, 66-40, 67-0 and 76-53.National Bank's Asjad Iqbal will face Punjab's Naseem Akhtar in the first semifinal and Sindh's Sohail Shahzad will face Punjab's Owaisullah Munir in the second semi-final.Results (Quarterfinals):Asjad Iqbal (NBP) beat Shahid Aftab (PB) 5-4 (58-26, 0-81 (81), 28-70, 39-68, 71-42, 68-30 (66), 58-71, 77-42 (69), 68-37)Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (PB) beat Ahsan Ramzan (PB) 5-3 (1-72, 8-71,74-01, 68-58, 58-07, 57-39, 50-74 (73), 87-24)Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) beat Shan Namat (Isb) 5-3 (69-14 (64), 77-30 (54), 13-65, 82-04 (55), 71-02, 32-99 (99), 48-52, 64-17)Awais Ullah Munair (PB) beat Abdul Javed (Isb) 5-4 (30-68 (63), 0-96 (90), 1-89 (89), 12-70, 78-07, 98-01 (62), 66-40, 67-0 (66), 76-53).Schedule (Semifinals):Asjad Iqbal (NBP) v Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (PB)Sohail Shehzad (Sindh) v Awais Ullah Munair (PB),

 Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Raja Mikaeel Sami showcased extraordinary skill, guiding Barry's Polo to a remarkable 10-8 title triumph over Rijas Polo/Master Paints in the Battle Axe Polo Cup final played here at the Jinnah Polo Fields on Sunday.The hero of the match, Raja Mikaeel Sami, demonstrated exceptional prowess as he expertly maneuvered the polo pony and mallet, scoring an impressive seven goals. His teammates, Raja Jalal Arslan and Saim Abbas, added two and one goal respectively to secure the title for their team. On the opposing side, Amirreza Behboudi from Rijas/Master Paints made a noteworthy contribution with five fabulous goals, while Bilal Hayat Noon scored a brace, and Sufi Haroon struck one goal. The final commenced with Rijas Polo/Master Paints initially asserting dominance, securing a 3-1 lead by scoring three consecutive goals against Barry’s one goal. The second chukker witnessed a stark reversal, as Barry’s, starting with a goal, made a remarkable comeback by thrashing in three consecutive goals, leveling the score at 4-4. In the third chukker, Rijas Polo/Master Paints showcased superior polo skills, converting three goals compared to Barry’s two, gaining a slight 7-6 lead. As the match entered the decisive fourth chukker, Rijas Polo/Master Paints seemed poised to secure the title. However, Barry’s displayed an outstanding polo performance, scoring four fabulous goals against Rijas Polo/Master Paints, ultimately clinching the title with a 10-8 victory. Santiago Loza and Juan Cruz Greguol officiated as field umpires. The final was graced by the presence of Mohammad Asim Butt, CEO of Rachna Group, who served as the chief guest and distributed prizes among the winners and top performers, adding prestige to the occasion. Major Ali Taimur (retd), Secretary of Jinnah Polo Fields, and a gathering of polo players and their families also attended the grand finale. Earlier in the subsidiary final, FG/Din Polo secured a 7-4 victory over DS Polo. Mian Abbas Mukhtar led the scoring with three goals, supported by two goals from Juan Cruz Greguol, and one goal each from Agha Musa and Sheikh Mohammad Rafi. Bilal Haye from DS Polo responded with a brace, while Ahmed Ali Tiwana and Abdul Rehman Monnoo contributed one goal each.  

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: A stylish player from Lahore, Ahmed Baig has won the title of the 13th Rashid D. Habib Memorial National Professional Golf Tournament 2024 that concluded here at the Karachi Golf Club (KGC) on Sunday.Ahmed Baig, who led the tournament from day one, demonstrated exceptional skill, firing a gross score of 275, finishing under 13, and securing the coveted trophy. Mohammad Zubair from KGC claimed the runner-up position with an impressive six under par.In the seniors’ professionals’ category, Nisar Hussain claimed the trophy, with Mohammad Siddique and Mohammad Tariq securing the second positions jointly. Mohammad Sahil and Umar Shahzad clinched the first and second positions, respectively, in the junior professional category. A highlight of the tournament was Zubair Hussain from PAF achieving a remarkable Hole-In-One on the second day. Using a 5 Iron on the Red Course's 7th Hole, a Par 3 at KGC with a distance of 210 Yards, Zubair's skillful shot earned him acclaim and a brand-new Toyota Corolla car. Another car for the hole-in-one winner in the Local KGC Category remained unclaimed. The 13rd edition of Rashid D. Habib Memorial Golf Tournament featured a two-day match for local KGC Professionals, Senior Professionals, and KGC Caddies, held on January 16th and 17th, 2024. In the Caddies category, Shahid Malik scored 154, 10 over par, to claim the trophy for 2024. Mohammad Javed and Kamran Zahoor were the runner-ups with 157, 13 over par. Ashiq Naz led the KGC Senior Professional Category with six over par, and M. Iqbal secured the second position. In the KGC Professionals category, M. Nawaz grabbed the trophy with Ali Sher as the runner-up. Top professionals, including Mohammad Shabbir, Ahmed Baig, Mohammad Munir, and Minhaj Maqsood Waraich, received an appearance fee of PKR 100,000 each. Additionally, PKR 150,000 was equally distributed among the top senior professionals, including Mohammad Tariq, Nisar Hussain, and Mohammad Akram. Chief Guest, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf NI (M), T BT, and Bank AL Habib’s Chairman, Abbas D Habib, distributed prizes amongst the winners. Admiral Naveed Ashraf commended the efforts of Bank AL Habib and KGC in hosting this popular golf event, expressing appreciation for the delightful weather in Karachi for golf.  

Gurbaz (81 off 39 balls), Jake Fraser-McGurk (54 off 25 balls) star in Dubai Capitals’ victorySports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Dubai Capitals outclassed MI Emirates by 7 wickets in the second match of the ILt20, as duo stars Gurbaz (81 off 39 balls), and Jake Fraser-McGurk (54 off 25 balls) guided their team to a comprehensive win here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.Emirates after getting off to a good start, slipped from a strong 79 for 1 in seven overs to 140 for 8 by the 19th over. Big hits from Tim David (27) took the score past the 150 run mark, but the architect of their fine start was UAE’s Muhammad Waseem who cracked 51 runs off 26 balls with four sixes and two boundaries. He was backed by Andre Fletcher (30) and Nicholas Pooran (21). Sikandar Raza was responsible to put the brakes on Emirates taking three wickets for 21 backed by Jason Holder (3 for 34).After the win, David Warner remarked that the energy in his team’s camp helped. “I enjoy leadership. There is great energy in our camp and that helps.” On Gurbaz and Fraser's knocks, Warner said: “These two guys come with clear minds and are at the peak of their game right now.” He then went on to appreciate Trent Boult for the delivery that got him out. “I have had a lot of good battles against Boult. This is the first time I am seeing the ball swing so much here after a long time.”MI Emirates skipper Pooran admitted that his team did not play smart cricket. “We kept losing wickets and should have played smart. All credit to Dubai Capitals, they bowled well. We thought we had a chance with 160, but surely it wasn't enough. We knew batting first was going to be tricky. We just weren't good enough. We fell short of runs. But Fraser and Gurbaz batted well.”Dubai Capitals' skipper Warner won the toss and elected to bowl stating that the wicket looked good and his team would chase the runs down. Emirates skipper Pooran too remarked that his team would have loved to bowl first, but they need to adapt to conditions and be competitive.England’s Will Smeed, opening the Emirates innings with UAE’s Mohammad Waseem, hit the first boundary of the day square driving Dushmantha Chameera. Jason Holder struck in the second over having Smeed brilliantly caught by a leaping Sam Billings at slips for 5. This brought in Andre Fletcher. Waseem got off the mark hitting Chameera over his head for a boundary. He also hit the first six of the match lifting Roelof van der Merwe over long on, and took 18 runs off that over with two boundaries.Fletcher opened up from the fifth over when he hit Paul van Meekeren for two boundaries and a six to take the score past the 50 run mark. Holder, who was re-introduced for the sixth over, was hit for 21 runs, which included sixes from Waseem and Fletcher.Akif Raja bowled the seventh over to end Fletcher’s knock forcing him to hit high to Powell at long-on for 30. His 18-ball knock had three boundaries and two sixes. He put on 72 runs in 34 balls with Waseem for the second wicket. Waseem reached his half century in 24 balls, and together with his captain Pooran, took the score past the 100 run mark.Raza ended Waseem’s fine knock forcing him to lift to Holder at long-off for 51. His knock off 26 balls had two boundaries and four sixes. Raza also struck to remove Ambati Rayudu, caught and bowled for 1.The flow of runs however reduced from the 10th over with Van Meekeren yielding only six runs. Raza gave away just three runs and Akif Raja gave away only four runs. Raza then went on to bowl Pooran for 21 in the 14th over. With half the side back in the dug-out for 120, MI Emirates struggled for runs. Van der Merwe had Corey Anderson caught by Billing at deep-midwicket for 1.Holder went on to trap Dwayne Bravo leg before for 2 and also had Akeal Hosen caught by Billings at long-on for 7. Tim David hit Chameera for two consecutive sixes in the last over and took the score past the 150-run mark. He got out to the fifth ball caught by Holder at long off for 27. Capitals began their chase through David Warner, who was cheered all the way to the crease by the crowd, along with Gurbaz. Boult would have got Gurbaz out for a duck to the third ball had he not dropped the return catch. Fazalhaq Farooqi, who was brought in as a super-sub in place of Rayudu, bowled the second over and Gurbaz celebrated his luck hitting him for a six over long-on.The first to go was Warner to a fine delivery from Boult that took the outside edge and flew into the hands of Zahoor Khan for 1. Fraser, who came in as super-sub for Paul Meekran, went for his shots and hit Akeal Hosein for a six and two boundaries. He also smashed Farooqi for a well-timed boundary and another six over long-leg. Delhi Capitals' 50 runs came in five overs. Gurbaz was severe on Zahoor Khan hitting him for three consecutive boundaries in the sixth over while Fraser hit Hosein for two successive sixes in the seventh. Fraser reached his half century in 21 balls and Capitals went past the 100-run mark in 8.5 overs. Gurbaz too reached his half century in 26 balls. So severe was the onslaught of this pair that their 100 runs partnership came in 44 balls.By the halfway mark, Capitals needed only 38 runs. Fraser got out to Boult in the 11th over, caught at long-off by Anderson for 54. Gurbaz too got out but after hitting 81 runs, brilliantly caught by Waseem at deep mid-wicket off Farooqi. Sam Billings and Rovman Powell then steered their team to the target in 16 overs.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Three teenager tennis players, Hamza Roman, Mikaeel Biag, Abubakar Talha, have been selected for the Pakistan Under-16 Boys’ team for the Pre-Qualifying Event of the Aisa /Oceana Davis Cup Under-16 Junior fixture, which will be played from February 19 to 24, 2024 in Sri Lanka.According to an official of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), the players have been picked-up after conducting trials at SDA-PTF Tennis Complex. Hamza Roman, Mikaeel Biag, and Abubakar Talha produced acceptable performance during the trials.

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: National golfer, Ahmed Baig retained his lead on the 3rd day of the 13th Rashid D. Habib Memorial National Professional Golf Tournament 2024, which is going on here at Karachi Golf Club (KGC).Ahmed Baig from Lahore and Mohammad Zubair from KGC both carded an impressive 67, finishing five under par. Ahmed Baig, maintaining his lead since the beginning of the tournament, boasts a gross of 204, standing at 12 under par, securing his top position on the leaderboard. Mohammad Zubair trails by two strokes, recording a total of 206 at 10 under par. Dilshad Ali of KGC holds the third spot with a score of 212, four under par. Mohammad Alam and Mohammad Munir share a similar gross of 213, three under par. Defending Champion Waheed Baloch from KGC is in the sixth position with a score of 215, one under par. Pakistan's prominent golfer, Mohammad Shabbir Iqbal, is making steady progress, reaching the 7th position with a gross of 216, at par. Shabbir has one more day left to come up with a surprise and impress his fans. Matloob from LGG carded a 72 on the third day, securing a gross of 216, at par. On Saturday, the KGC greens also hosted the first round of the Senior and Junior Professionals. In the Senior Professional category, Nisar Hussain and Abdul Hameed jointly lead the first day with a score of 69, three under par. Following closely are Mohammad Siddique and Aurangzaib Khan with a score of 71, one under par. Zulfiquar Ali, Mohammad Akram, and Mohammad Javed all carded a par score of 72 in the same category. Moving to the Junior Professionals category, Mohammad Sahil, Rehan Babar, and Umar Shahzad recorded scores of 75 (3 over par), 78 (6 over par), and 79 (7 over par) respectively. 

Defending Champions claim a comprehensive victory against hosts in the opening tieSports Bulletin ReportSharjah (UAE): Defending Champions Gulf Giants defeated hosts Sharjah Warriors by 31 runs in the opening match of the ILT20 Season 2 here at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday night. Jamie Overton (3 for 29) was declared Man of the Match.Gulf Giants posted 198 for 7 in 20 overs building on the strength of a fine opening partnership of 61 runs in 5.2 overs between skipper James Vince and Jamie Smith. Vince top scored with 45 runs off 35 balls with three boundaries and two sixes while Smith cracked a breezy 42 off 18 balls with three boundaries and four sixes.Off spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who bowled brilliantly provided the breakthrough. He returned with figures of 4 for 15 producing carrom ball deliveries and accurate off cutters. Usman Khan hit a quick 32 runs off 18 balls with four boundaries and a six while Jordan Cox chipped in with 32 off 22 balls with two boundaries and two sixes. At one stage it looked like Giants could post over 225 runs but for Theekshan’s tight bowling and Chris Woakes’s two wickets for 35 runs.Sharjah Warriors began their chase confidently through an opening partnership of 93 in 10.3 overs between Martin Guptill and Johnson Charles but in end could muster only 167 for 7 in 20 overs. Jamie Overton struck to remove Guptill for 40 and also Charles for 57. After this partnership was broken Giants went for the kill with Chris Jordan striking twice in the 17th over. Guptill’s 40 came off 30 balls with six boundaries and a six. Charles’s 57 off 38 balls had six boundaries and three sixes.Scotland’s Chris Sole, who bowled the second over was lifted by Smith over mid-on for a boundary off the third ball. The fourth delivery was pulled out of the stadium for a mighty six and the fifth was cracked past point for another boundary. Smith also hit the last ball of the over through mid-wicket for another six and took 21 runs off that over.Woakes checked the run flow in the third over giving only four runs and so did off spinner Maheesh Theekshana yielding only six runs but the 50 runs partnership came in 4.5 overs. Smith was severe on Daniel Sams too hitting him for two consecutive sixes to take 19 runs off the fifth over. The 61-runs partnership ended in the sixth over when Theekshana clean bowled Smith for 42.Runs flowed with Vince lifting Qais for another six over long-off. Theekshana struck again in the 12th over to have Vince slash at him and getting caught at slips by Gregory for 45. His knock off 35 balls had three boundaries and two sixes. He also had Shimron Hetmyer leg before with the next ball.Usman Khan who joined Cox hit his first delivery for a six off Qais Ahmad to long-on. Cox smashed Woakes for a boundary and six off second and third ball of the 14th over but fell to the fourth ball attempting a reverse sweep and got caught behind by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella for 32. Giants reached 150-run mark came in 14.5 overs.Usman Khan further accelerated the run flow cracking three consecutive boundaries off Sams in the 16th over. Theekshana picked his fourth wicket removing Usman Khan caught by Woakes at long-off for 32. His knock off 18 balls had four boundaries and a six. Jamie Overton fell to Sams for 5 and Karim Janat too followed, falling to Woakes for 17 but Giants posted 198 for 7 in the 20 overs. Warriors began their chase through Johnson Charles and Martin Guptill providing an excellent start. Though off the first over Guptill scored only a boundary off Richard Gleeson, in the subsequent overs runs flowed. Charles hit Geelson for a boundary and six in the third over while Guptill picked two consecutive boundaries off Mujeeb Ur Rehman. Guptill on 18 got dropped by Jordan at long-on off Dominic Drakes. Their 50-runs partnership came in 5.4 overs.The pair went on to put 93 runs in 10.3 overs before Guptill steered Jamie Overton into the hands of Gleeson at third man boundary. Charles reached his half century in 34 balls with six boundaries and two sixes. The score went past the 100 run mark in 12.1 overs through a six from Charles over long-0n. Charles fell at his score on 57 to a slower delivery from Overton, caught by Usman Khan at deep mid-wicket.Drakes picked the valuable wicket of skipper Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the 15th over for 19 through a running catch by Vince. In the last five overs, Warriors needed 70 runs. Overton struck again by clean bowling Daniel Sams with a yorker for 4. This titled the match in Giants favour.Niroshan Dickwella joined Lewis Gregory but Chris Jordan clean bowled Gregory for 3 and Dickwella for 4 to put his team on the road to victory.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Barry’s Polo showcased their prowess by defeating FG/Din Polo with a score of 5½-3, earning a well-deserved spot in the main final of the Battle Axe Polo Cup sponsored by Rachna Group at the Jinnah Polo Fields on Friday.The Jinnah Polo Fields witnessed riveting polo matches that drew a significant crowd of spectators and families eager to witness the crucial tournament clash. In a standout performance, Barry’s Polo outpaced FG/Din Polo, securing a 5½-3 victory. Raja Mikael Sami emerged as a key player, contributing four fabulous goals, while Saim Abbas converted the remaining one for Barry’s Polo, leveraging their half-goal handicap advantage. Agha Musa Ali Khan scored two goals, and Sheikh Mohammad Rafi added one goal for FG/Din Polo. The first chukker commenced with a balanced display as both teams managed to score a goal each. Mikael Sami scored one for Barry’s, and Agha Musa struck one for FG/Din Polo, leveling the score at 1-1. In the second chukker, Barry’s demonstrated superior polo skills, converting two goals – one each from Mikael and Saim – while FG/Din Polo managed to convert one goal through Agha Musa, resulting in Barry’s taking a narrow 3-2 lead. Building on their momentum, Mikael continued his stellar performance in the third chukker, firing in the sole goal to extend their lead to 4-2. The fourth chukker witnessed another field goal from Mikael, further stretching Barry’s lead to 5-2. Despite FG/Din Polo's efforts for making a strong comeback, they only managed to convert one goal, resulting in a crucial 5½-3 victory for Barry’s in this closely contested match. The thrilling match sets the stage for the main final on Sunday, featuring a face-off between Team Rijas/Master Paints and Team Barry’s Polo. Simultaneously, the subsidiary final will be contested between DS Polo and FG/Din Polo.

Ahmed Baig maintains lead on second day of prestigious national golf fixtureSports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: A golfer from Lahore, Ahmed Baig maintained his lead with a gross of 137 under par 7 on the second day of the 13th Rashid D. Habib Memorial National Professional Golf Tournament 2024 here at Karachi Golf Club (KGC) on Friday. Local players Zubair Hussain from Pakistan Air Force (PAF) won the car after scoring Hole-In-One on the second day of national golf fixture.He made this mark on the Red Course's 7th Hole, a Par 3 at KGC with a distance of 210 Yards, his skillful shot not only earned him acclaim but also rewarded him with a brand-new Toyota Corolla car. Baig was leading on the second day with a gross of 137- 7 under par. KGC’s Mohammad Zubair and Mohammad Munir from Rawalpindi were behind with their joint score of 139- 5 under par. Defending Champion Waheed Baloch, Dilshad Ali, Mohammad Alam and Akbar Mahroz have carded gross 142- 2 under par on second day.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Rijas Polo/Master Paints secured a coveted spot in the main final by defeating DS Polo with a convincing 9-4 scoreline on the fourth day of the Battle Axe Polo Cup, sponsored by Rachna Group, here at the Jinnah Polo Fields on Thursday.The Battle Axe Polo Cup, supported by Rachna Group, continues to deliver exciting matches at Jinnah Polo Fields, drawing families and polo enthusiasts to witness the thrilling competition. In a match that resumed after the first four chukkers between the Pool B teams, Rijas Polo/Master Paints outplayed DS Polo in the last four chukkers, securing a total score of 14½ against DS Polo's 10 goals. Amirreza Behboodi led the charge for Rijas Polo/Master Paints with four goals, supported by Sufi Mohammad Haroon with three goals, and Bilal Hayat Noon and Mohib Shehzad contributing one goal each. Bilal Haye showcased exceptional skill for DS Polo, firing in all four goals. With this impressive victory, Rijas Polo/Master Paints earned a spot in the main final, setting the stage for an exciting climax to the Battle Axe Polo Cup. The action continues on Friday as FG/Din Polo prepare to face off against Barry’s Polo in another anticipated clash.