Pakistan earn a massive lead of 245 runs against Bangladesh “A” in a four-day fixtureAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Left-handed batter Umar Amin’s three figures innings (177 runs) demands to include him in the first Test match against Bangladesh, which will start on August 21 at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi, as his (Umer) innings against Bangladesh A put hosts in driving seat on the second day of the four-match contest at Islamabad Club cricket ground.At stumps, Shaheens were 367 for four in 90 overs, with a first innings lead of 245 runs. Saad Khan (31 not out, 39b, 6x4s) and Kamran Ghulam (20 not out, 63b, 1x4,1x6), will resume batting on the third day, which will begin at 09.30am tomorrow. For Bangladesh ‘A’, left-arm spinner Hasan Murad bagged two wickets for 49 runs.Earlier, after resuming their first innings at the overnight score of two for no loss, the home side were dealt a blow when left-handed batter Saim Ayub returned back to the hut, scoring 11 off 28 balls, which included a four. Mohammad Huraira was the second batter to be dismissed, scoring 39 off 67 balls, hitting five boundaries.The experienced Umar was then joined by captain Saud Shakeel and the pair knitted a 195-run partnership for the third wicket. During the partnership, left-handed Umar brought up his century. He fell 23 runs short of a double-century, and was dismissed for 177 off 211 balls, smashing 23 fours and three towering sixes.After Umar’s departure, fellow southpaw Saud soon followed the centurion and was stumped off the bowling of Hasan for 76 with the scorecard reading 322 for four. Saud’s innings included nine boundaries across 132 deliveries.Scores in brief (Day-2):Bangladesh 'A' 122 all out, 44.3 overs (Mahmudul Hasan Joy 65; Naseem Shah 3-24, Mir Hamza 3-33, Mohammad Rameez Jnr 2-41)Pakistan Shaheens 367-4, 90 overs (Umar Amin 177, Saud Shakeel 76, Mohammad Huraira 39, Saad Khan 31 not out, Kamran Ghulam 20 not out; Hasan Murad 2-49, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 1-67, Nayeem Hasan 1-81)Pakistan Shaheens lead by 245 runs

Islamabad (Press Release): Punjab emerged victorious in both the men's and women's categories of the Independence Day Inter-Provincial Basketball Championship, organized by the Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) at Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad.In the men's final, Punjab lifted the title after a hard-fought victory over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), securing a win with a score of 69-68 points. Abdullah scored 22 and Mohammad Taimour scored 15 points for winning side while Umer Khan scored 15 points for KP. Meanwhile, Islamabad A secured third place by defeating Islamabad B in a closely contested match at 67-62.On the women’s side, Punjab dominated the finals, overwhelming Islamabad A with a commanding 64-17 victory. Ayman Ali and Sana were standout performers, contributing 16 and 12 points respectively to Punjab's triumph. In the third-place match, Sindh outplayed Islamabad B, winning 50-29.  The closing ceremony of the five-day championship was graced by Federal Secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Nadeem Irshad Kayani and Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Yasir Pirzada as chief guests. Also in attendance were president of the Pakistan Basketball Federation Brig (Retd) Mohammad Iftikhar Mansoor, Secretary General Khalid Bashir, Senior Vice President Imtiaz Rafi Butt, President of the Federal Basketball Association Ejaz Rafi Butt, Secretary General Ouj e Zahoor, Azam Dar, and other distinguished personalities.

BIPIN DANIIn a heartwarming meeting that bridged the worlds of art and sports, veteran Sri Lankan artist Mueen Saheed recently had the pleasure of meeting Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli during Team India's recent visit to the country.During this meeting, Saheed presented Kohli with a deeply personal portrait featuring Kohli, his wife Anushka Sharma, and their late dog Bruno. The painting, intended to evoke joyful memories of their beloved pet, was warmly received by Kohli, who expressed his delight and gratitude.Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, the artist said, "While Kohli made arrangements for this large portrait to be taken to his home in India, he leaves behind another signed painting of my work. He has promised me to visit my gallery when he revisits Sri Lanka again. This smaller painting shows Kohli in a stance of action, showcasing his batting prowess. Mueen Saheed has long been a passionate cricket enthusiast. His works have previously paid homage to cricket legends like Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar,He is a contemporary of renowned Sri Lankan artists Seneka Senanayake and Laki Senanayake, has exhibited extensively around the world and continues to be one of the most compelling voices for abstract art in Sri Lanka. This recent meeting with Virat Kohli is a testament to Saheed's enduring influence and the universal appeal of his art, transcending boundaries and connecting with people from all walks of life.  

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) will organize a Cash Award Ceremony to honor the U18 Volleyball Team for their remarkable achievements on Monday (August 19, 2024, at 02:00 PM at the AFOHS Club Falcon Complex, Falcon Complex PAF Falcon Complex Gulberg 3 Lahore.According to an official of PVF, the ceremony will celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the U18 Volleyball Team, which recently secured two significant achievements including a bronze medal at the 15th Asian Men’s U18 Volleyball Championship, and a gold medal at the CAVA U18 Volleyball Championship. Chairman PVF, Ch. Mohammad Yaqoob will be the chief guest in the ceremony.

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Punjab’s both teams men’s and women’s qualified for the finals after beating their respective opponents in the semifinals of the Jashan-a-Azadi Inter-Provincial Basketball Championships here at Laquiat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Tuesday. Also, KPK’s men and Islamabad’s women storm into the finals, as both the finals of the tournament will be played on Wednesday (August 14, 2024) at the same venue.In the first Women’s semifinal, Punjab defeated Sindh 64-32. Punjabi females were leading 40-13 at the half-time. Khadija Mushtaq scored 17 points, and Aiman Mahmood scored 16 points for Punjab, and played a vital role in team’s victory, while Maryam scored 10 points and Aqsi scored 9 points for Sindh. In the second semi-final, Islamabad A defeated Islamabad-B by 36-24 after an interesting match. Maria scored 12 points and Amani scored 7 points from Islamabad- A, while Shanzey scored 9 points and Shahbano scored five points from Islamabad-B. In the men's first semifinal, Punjab beat Islamabad-A by 81-56. The score at half-time was 41-28 in favor of the winning team. Mohammad Taimur scored 22 points and Mohammad Saifullah scored 21 points for the winning team, while Ali Hamza Kazmi scored 23 points and Mohammad Usman scored 7 points for Islamabad-A.In the second Semifinal, Khyber Pakhtunekawa (KPK) thrashed Islamabad-B 70-51 to confirm their berth in the final. Abdul Wahab 23, Bilal Khan 10 were major contributors to KPK. Haroon Rashid 15, Behram Raees 10 were the top scorers for the losing side Islamabad-A. Matches were supervised by Mohammad Praim Shahzad, Moazzam Naveed Rao, Mohammad Mudassar, Yasir Ghafoor, Umar Mehmood, Adeel S Raza, Gul Jamal, Naveed Ahmed Beeda and Saadat Jahangir. Brig Mohammad Iftikhar Mansoor, President Pakistan Basketball Federation and sizeable spectators also witnessed the matches.

Naseem Shah (3-24), and Mir Hamza (3-33) performances thrash Bangladesh A batting lineAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: A couple of sparking performances with red-ball, Naseem Shah (3-24), and Mir Hamza (3-33), constrained Bangladesh A on a meager total of 122 runs in 44.3 overs in their first innings of the four-day match here at Islamabad Club cricket ground on Tuesday. Pakistan scored 2 runs without wasting any batter at the stumps on Day-1, when the match called-off due to bad light in capital city Islamabad.Bangladesh captain Anamul Haque won the coin battle and decided to bat first, as the match started at 2:00 pm instead of 10:00 am in the morning owing to wet out-field. Apart from Mahmudul Hasan Joy, who top-scored with a gritty 65 off 116 balls hitting nine fours, only Mominul Haque (11, 15b, 2x4s), Mushfiqur Rahim (14, 27b, 1x4, 1x6) and Rejaur Rehman Raja (10, 17b, 1x4) got into double figures.Mahmudul and Mushfiqur were also involved in the most productive partnership for Bangladesh A which was a 38-run stand, which was broken by Mohammad Ali. The Shaheens pacers shared eight wickets among them with Naseem Shah, making his return to red-ball cricket after more than a year, taking the 3-24 in 8.3 overs. Hamza bagged as many wickets giving away 33 runs in 11 overs.Ali was the most economical bowler as he conceded only 14 runs in 11 overs, picking up the valuable wicket of Mushfiqur, including six maidens. Umar Amin provided an important breakthrough for Shaheens as he dismissed the well-set Mahmudul. Leg-spinner Mohammad Rameez Jnr eked out two wickets for 41 runs in 11 overs.Scores in brief (Day-1):Pakistan Shaheens trail by 120 runsBangladesh 'A' 122 all out, 44.3 overs (Mahmudul Hasan Joy 65; Naseem Shah 3-24, Mir Hamza 3-33, Mohammad Rameez Jnr 2-41)Pakistan Shaheens 2-0, 2 overs (Saim Ayub 2 not out) 

LAHORE: (Press Release) Punjab University (PU) players created history by winning 9 medals for the first time, showing excellent performance in the Asian Rowing Indoor Championship 2024, which was held in Penang, Malaysia. PU students won 5 Gold, 3 Silver, and 1 Bronze medal. As many as 19 countries including India, Saudi Arab, Iran, and Iraq participated in the event. PU rowing team participated in the championship under the supervision of Director Sports Zubair Ahmad Butt and Coach Abdul Rehman. Abdul Rahman of PU Department of Economics claimed 2 gold medals and one silver medal while Zarak Khan from Hailey College won 2 gold medals. Gohar Ayub of Sports Sciences won 1 gold and 1 silver medal while Iqra from Sports Sciences won 1 silver and 1 bronze medal.Abdul Rehman and Zarak Khan were declared the best-time performers in the championship. Students of Punjab University won two gold medals in the team event. PU Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr. Khalid Mahmood congratulated the players for this wonderful, and historical achievement.He said that the players of PU made the country, the institution, and the nation proud. He said that day and night hard work of the Department of Sports, coaches, and players paid off. He said that despite limited resources, PU provided Rs 1.5 million to players to participate in the event. Director Sports Zubair Butt thanked the PU VC for encouraging sports on campus.  

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The 6th Pakistan International Veterans Football Mela is set to kick off on Wednesday (August 14, 2024) here at Jallo Park, marking another exciting chapter in a celebration of veteran football in Pakistan. In a press conference, Sardar Naveed Haider Khan, joined by Chairman veteran football body Mian Abbas and international football legends Ghulam Abbas Tedi and Imtiaz Butt, shared their enthusiasm for this year’s event. "This annual event is held to commemorate Pakistan's Independence Day, and this year, we are proud to host the sixth edition of the tournament," said Sardar. "Top international veteran footballers from Pakistan will showcase their skills in this prestigious competition, featuring nine teams including Balochistan, Sindh, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Lahore, Faisalabad, Chitral, Peshawar, and Pindi. All matches will be played under floodlights, with the final scheduled for August 18 at the same venue," he added. Mian Abbas highlighted the significant contributions of the Pakistan Veterans Football body, noting that district veteran football clubs have been established nationwide. These clubs are instrumental in keeping veteran players fit, nurturing new talent, and preparing them for national representation. "Our goal is to give back to the country by developing a strong football nursery," he asserted. Mian Abbas also expressed his vision for veteran football, inspired by the recognition given to football legends worldwide. "Seeing veterans from other countries honored even after retirement motivated me to focus on veteran football. With support from fellow veterans and legends, we have created a platform where veterans remain active and also mentor young players. We are working towards having our veteran players participate in international series and even the veteran football World Cup," Mian Abbas said. Ghulam Abbas Tedi, reflecting on his experiences visiting different regions of Pakistan, praised the growing involvement of veteran footballers. "It's encouraging to see so many veterans actively participating in the sport and mentoring youngsters. This bodes well for the future of veteran football in Pakistan," Tedi remarked. Imtiaz Butt expressed gratitude to the media for their support in promoting veteran football. "The media's role in highlighting veteran football is crucial, and I am proud to run an academy in Faisalabad that engages veteran players in healthy activities while also training young footballers. Under the leadership of Mian Abbas and Sardar Naveed Haider Khan, I am confident that veteran football will continue to flourish in Pakistan," Imtiaz Butt concluded.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Islamabad A, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Islamabad B moved into the semifinals of the Men’s event of the Independence Day Inter-Provincial Men's and Women's Basketball Championship after winning their respective matches at the Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad on Monday.In the women’s category, the semifinals will take place on Tuesday. The first match, Punjab will meet Sindh, followed by a clash between Islamabad A and Islamabad B. The championship is being held under the supervision of the Federal Basketball Association (FBBA).In the men’s category, Islamabad A will face Punjab in the first semifinal, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will go head-to-head with Islamabad B in the second semi-final.On the final day of the pool round, Sindh's women's team secured their place in the semi-finals with a 45-18 victory over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sindh’s Shafa Afzal, Aqsa Hanif, and Maryam Zahid each contributed 10 points. In another match, Punjab dominated Balochistan with a resounding 78-8 win, driven by standout performances from Khadija Mushtaq (22 points) and Nilofar Helen (17 points).Both finals, men's and women's categories will take place on August 14 at the same venue.

Lausanne (Switzerland): Hockey at Paris 2024 came to a conclusion on 9 August, with a historic double gold for Netherlands, as the men's and women’s teams of a nation won the hockey gold in the same edition of an Olympics for the very first time! Germany men and China women added a silver medal to their trophy cabinets, while India men and Argentina women made it back-to-back medal finishes, claiming the bronze medals in Paris.The competition for medals was wide open, and there were plenty of surprises and upsets as the jostling for medal finishes shook up the world rankings. Join us as we take a look at the updated rankings, following the conclusion of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.In the men’s world rankings, Olympic champions Netherlands (3168) stand at the top of the rankings. Netherlands came into the games in the top spot, but dropped to third in the pool stage following a draw against Great Britain and a loss to Germany, but four consecutive wins to finish with the title, sees them climb back into the first place.Germany (3035) once again showed their big tournament prowess, as they came into the event ranked fifth in the world, but registered big wins over the likes of Netherlands, Great Britain, Argentina and India to climb into second place in the world rankings, on the way to the silver medal.England* (2973), Belgium (2959) and India (2849) complete the top-5 places. Belgium in particular will be disappointed with their quarter final exit, coming in as defending champions. The Red Lions had a near perfect pool stage with 4 wins and a draw that had catapulted them to the top of the world rankings, but a loss to Spain in the quarterfinal saw them drop down to fourth. Germany’s ascent also sees England drop down one spot from their pre-Olympics ranking of second place, to third, while India have climbed one spot up bridging the gap to the top-4, following a second consecutive bronze medal finish at the Olympics.Australia (2714), Argentina (2643) and Spain (2470) find themselves in the sixth, seventh and eighth positions respectively. Australia began the Olympics ranked fourth in the world, and climbed into the top-3 after the first win over Argentina, but a disappointing campaign where they endured losses to Belgium, India and got knocked out by Netherlands in the quarterfinals, sees them drop down to sixth, less than 100 points clear of Argentina in seventh. Spain fell just short of the bronze medal and while their ranking remains unchanged, the gap to seventh place is less than half of what it was before Paris 2024.Ireland (2078), France (2016), South Africa (1982) and New Zealand (1958) take up the ninth to twelfth spots in the world rankings with all four teams competing at the Olympics, but failing to make the quarterfinals. Ireland’s victory over New Zealand in their final pool stage game, lifted them two spots into ninth place at the expense of France who ended their pool stage of the games with just one point following a draw against Spain. South Africa moved up one place thanks to their draw against Great Britain and win over France, while New Zealand’s failure to collect any points at the Olympics sees them drop two spots down from tenth.In the women’s world rankings, Netherlands (3641) remain infallible, adding a fourth Olympic gold medal from the last five editions of the Games! While China gave them a big scare in the gold medal match, Netherlands prevailed in the end, completing a perfect campaign with 8 wins in 8 matches.Argentina (3059) continue to remain in a distant second place, following their bronze medal performance at Paris 2024. Belgium (2852) climbed one place to third in the world after narrowly missing out on their first ever Olympic medal, with back-to-back shoot-out losses to China in the semi-final, and Argentina in the bronze medal match, but it was still an impressive campaign from the Red Panthers in just their second ever Olympic appearance!Germany (2739) exited in the quarterfinals at Paris 2024, a result which saw them drop down one spot, into fourth. Australia (2720) continue to remain in fifth place and similar to Germany, would be disappointed in their quarterfinal exit, following a stellar pool phase where they finished top of their pool with 4 wins and a draw.China’s (2567) incredible run in Paris 2024, which saw them come within a whisker of claiming the gold medal, has resulted in a two-place climb in the world rankings table as they now sit in the sixth spot, ahead of England* (2419) and Spain (2322) in seventh and eighth respectively.India (2087) and New Zealand (2024), who missed out on Olympic qualification, round out the top-10 world rankings.Among the teams that competed at the Olympics outside of top-10, are Japan (2010) in eleventh place, narrowly trailing New Zealand. United States (1898) were extremely competitive throughout the pool stage of the Olympics and registered points through a draw against Spain and a win over South Africa, and find themselves in thirteenth place in the world rankings.South Africa (1403) and France (1371) both ended Paris 2024 without scoring any points and are placed twentieth and twenty second in the world respectively. Both teams have plenty of positives to take away from the Olympics though, with this being the first appearance for France at an Olympics, while South Africa, given their very young squad, were competitive, not losing by more than one goal in any of their matches except one, which came in the form of a 4-2 loss to Argentina, where South Africa were leading 2-1 until the final ten minutes. (PR)