Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: Over 100 top national golfers will take part in the Bank AL Habib’s 12th Rashid D. Habib Memorial National Professional Golf Tournament, which will tee off on Thursday (January 19, 2023) here at the Karachi Golf Club (KGC). The final round will be played on Sunday at the same venue. According to an official, more than hundred top golfers will compete in the Professionals category for the most coveted four-day national trophy of the annual Golf season. Last year, Waheed Baloch of KGC carded 278, 10 under par, had won the title while Mohammad Shabbir Iqbal of Islamabad and Mohammad Munir of Rawalpindi were placed on 2nd and 3rd position respectively. Prior to this event, a two-day match for local KGC Professionals, Senior Professionals and KGC Caddies, the 22nd edition of Rashid D. Habib Memorial Golf Tournament, will be played on 17th and 18th January, with the aim to support and develop professional golf at KGC. The total Prize Money of PKR 10 million includes PKR 7.95m for Best Performers in National Professional Category, aggregate PKR 1.4m for KGC Professionals, Caddies and Senior Pros, as well as Appearance Money of PKR 650,000. The Appearance Money is distributed amongst the top five Professionals and top three Senior Professionals, as per PGF current ranking. The lucky players achieving first hole-in-one will also be rewarded with a Toyota Corolla and a Suzuki Alto in national and local categories respectively.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: Ace Golfer Mohammad Shabbir has clinched the title of the 42nd Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Open Golf Championship with a gross score of 278 ten under par that concluded here at Airmen Golf Club & Recreational Park, Korangi Creek on Sunday. Mohammad Alam claimed the second position with 285 scores while the third position was achieved by Hamza Taimur Amin and Mohammad Zubair jointly with a gross score of 288. Air Marshal Hamid Rashid Randhawa, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Administration), PAF was the chief guest at the occasion. He congratulated the winners and appreciated the management committee & officials of Airmen Golf Course for making the event a huge success. Over 300 golfers took part in the championship which was played over 18 holes for five days at one of the most challenging golf courses of the country. Chief of the Air Staff Open Golf Championship was introduced in 1977 and ever since has been a regular feature in Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) annual sports calendars.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI (December 25, 2022): A local golfer, Saim Shazli has won the title of the 12th Engro Sindh Golf Association (SGA) President Golf Cup 2022 after completing 54 holes game on Sunday at Defence Authority Golf Club here. The main category was Amateurs HC 0-5 and winner of the championship with net score of 206, 10 under par was Arsalan Mughal from Karachi Golf Club (KGC). Saim Shazli of KCG maintained lead throughout the tournament and lifted the title of the Amateurs 0-5HC category with a gross of 213, 3 under par. Yashal Shah, also from KGC was the runner up in this category. Sameer Syed and Samir Feroz, both from KGC were winner and runner-up in Amateur net. Aania Farooq from Airman Club was the new leader in Ladies 0-12 HC gross category. Abiha Hanim Syed from DHA Club were jointly runner-up. In the net category, Amna Amjad (KGC) and Humera Khalid (DHA) secured first and second position correspondingly. In Ladies 13-36 HC gross category, Tabassum Sharif (KGC) won the trophy, with Anum Zahra and Nida Haq both from DHA earned at the second and third position. Golfers’ in the Veterans 75 years and above contested for two days (9 holes each day), in Gross category, Group Captain Aftab A Khan from KGC claimed top position. Col Shahid Mahboob (DHA) scored 87 and was declared runner-up. In Net category Dr. Zubair Mirza (KGC) took the first position. Winner of Runner-up net category was Vice Admiral Shamoon Khan a three way tie between Bakhtyar Saeed and Shahid Murtaza. Major Rizwan Farooq of DHA Club was the new trophy bearer in Veterans 70-75 years Gross category, with Brig Latif Butt also from DHA as the runner-up. Net category has Mir Ali Raza of Airmen Golf Club as winner. Sherjan Tajik of DHA was the runner-up in this category winning over Captain Safdar Amin in a tie breaker. In the Junior’s under 14 Gross category, Waleed Bilal from KGC became the new leader and Nyle Aurangzeb from DHA got the second position. The net category has Mohammad Hamzah Sheikh and Mohammad Shaffay Ali as winner and runner-up respectively. Chief guest at the ceremony was Rizwan Masood Raja, Chief People Officer of Engro Corporation distributed prizes amongst the winners. Rizwan congratulated Sindh Golf Association on successfully holding the 12th Engro SGA President Cup and assured of Engro’s cooperation in future as well. SGA President Khurram Khan thanked the sponsor for support and congratulated all the winners. Khurram said, “On behalf SGA I would like to sincerely thank Secretary DHA Golf Club- Brigadier Ahsan Masood, his team on providing us the golf course in such good shape. I would also like to thank Secretary SGA- Col Zahid and all officer bearers. SGA leadership would like to appreciate the efforts and hard work of our team including Commander Shazli Azhar, Baseer and Roshan for making this tournament a success.” Secretary SGA Col Zahid said, “We have been speaking with international golf associations for training of Pakistani golfers. Very soon we will see global trainers coaching our young girls and boys in Karachi.”

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI (December 24, 2022): Saim Shazli maintained his lead on the second day of the 12th Engro SGA President Cup 2022 with 143 score on Saturday here at Defence Authority Golf Club. Yashal Shah also from KGC is following Saim by scoring 147-three over par on Day 2. KCG’s another duo of Samir Feroz and Arsalan Mughal is jointly holding third position on second day with their 153-nine over par. In the Veterans 75 years and above, Group Captain Aftab A Khan from KGC is leading with combined two-day score of 83. Col Shahid Mahboob scored 87 on Day 2 and holding second position. Dr. Zubair Mirza is holding at third from day one in this category. Major Rizwan Farooq of DHA Club maintained lead from day 1 in Veterans 70-75 years category, with Brig Latif Butt following him. In the Juniors’ Under-14 category, Waleed Bilal from KGC also maintained lead and Nyle Aurangzeb following him. Shayan Zia is at third on Day two. Final round of the tournament will be played on Sunday 25th December. Karachi’s weather with chilled breeze and bright sunlight gives a clear view to the golfers playing at Defence Authority Club situated at coastline.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: Saim Shazli and Yashal Shah both from Karachi Golf Club (KGC) earned the in the main Amateurs Category with a joint score of 70, two under par, as Mohammad Ali Manan, Vivek Anand and Arsalan Mughal were behind with 74, two over par in the first round of the 12th Engro SGA President Cup 2022 that teed off here at Defence Authority Golf Club on Friday. In the Veterans 75 years and above competition, Col Shahid Mahboob from DHA and Group Captain Aftab A Khan from KGC were on the top with 41 score each. Dr. Zubair Mirza was spotted at third place. Major Rizwan Farooq of DHA Club was leading in Veterans 70-75 years category, with Brig Naveed Nasar following him after 18 holes game. In the Juniors under 14 category, Waleed Bilal from KGC was leading on first day with 85, 13 over par. Nyle Aurangzeb was following him with 87, 15 over par. The 54 holes tournament will be played for three days, following the rules and regulations of Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF). Final round will be played on Sunday 25th December and will decide the Winner for this year. The greens at DHA Golf Club are in best shape and Karachi’s weather is suitable for the play.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: The Engro, 12th SGA President Championship 2022 will tee-off on Friday (December 23) at Defence Authority Golf Club under the banner of Sindh Golf Association (SGA), as top golfers will fight for top honour during the three-day national fixture. Mohsin Farooq from Rawalpindi will defend his title, as he won the title in 2021 with carded a score of 135 which is 9 under par and took the trophy with him. Among other prominent golfers in various categories are Omar Khalid, Omar Shikoh Khan, and Saim Shazli who have practiced hard and improved their skills. Categories in the Cup include Amateurs (0 -14), Senior Amateurs (0 – 14), Veterans (70 – 74 years of age) & Super Veterans (75 and above), Ladies (0 – 36) & the Juniors (under 14). The 0 – 5 handicap Ladies will be competing with Amateurs and shall play three days of golf.  The 54 holes tournament will be played for three days, following the rules and regulations of Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF). Final round will be played on Sunday 25th December and will decide the Winner for this year. The greens at DHA Golf Club are in best shape and Karachi’s weather is suitable for the play. President SGA Khurram Khan said: “Tournaments by Sindh Golf Association are promoting and developing Golf in Sindh and encouraging the talented golfers. SGA welcomes all participants joining us from different areas of Pakistan in this championship.” “Golf is the only outdoor game with no age restriction. We have Golfers from under 14 years of age till those who have seen more than 80 winters in their life. Golf is becoming increasingly popular with both female and male youth of our country. Our Golf Clubs have been proved as a virtuous training ground for finest golfers in our country as now our players are seen competing at international golf events.”

Sports Bulletin Report PESHAWAR: Humna Amjad has won the title of 2nd KPGA (Khyber PakhtunaKawa Golf Association) Soni Wali Ladies Golf Cup 2022 that held at the historic Peshawar Golf Course from December 16 to 18. Tournament owes its genesis to the visionary initiative taken by Dr Asma Afzal Shami in 2021 to honor lady icons of yesteryears namely, Soni Wali, the trail blazer of women’s golf in KPK and Ghazala Ansari, the first Pakistani lady to achieve H’cap 1. This year’s event is the second in the series dedicated to honouring the memory of Soni Wali. Besides being the pioneer of ladies golf in KPK, she eventually became a role model for all lady golfers by winning the National Championship in 1976 and 1980. The driving force behind this Tournament has been her brother Iqbal Wali, and her sister Rani Wali, who, as a family, were also its sole financial sponsor. The listing of ladies championships like Soni Wali Cup on WAGR has induced competitiveness and increased the field-size, as now more girls play to earn precious WAGR points. Hamna Amjad emerged as gross winner in a nail-biting finish with a score of 216, while Parkha Ijaz secured second gross with 219. Incidentally, Parkha had ended day 1 with a dazzling 69, i.e. 3 under par. This dropped her handicap to scratch. Thus Parkha entered the final, third round with a 3 strokes advantage over Humna. However, with two bogies in the first nine holes and Humna’s spectacular eagle on the 6th hole, Parkha not only lost her advantage but also trailed her rival by one stroke. At this crucial stage, where Parkha and Humna were evenly matched in their golfing skills, Humna won the contest due to her superiority in maintaining her focus and composure under pressure. Rimsha Ijaz won third gross with a score of 234, while Abiha Syed from KGC won fourth with 237 strokes. In Category B, Sara Amin won first gross, Areeba Rizwan second and Maliha Elahi gross third. In Category B, Sana Zeeshan won the 1st net, Zarmina Khan second and Salza Shah third. Similarly in Category C, Meerab Rizwan won the first gross, Samina Ishtiaq second and Dr Ghazala Shams third. Sadia Askar from Mardan won the first net, Noor us Sabah second and Rabia Rashid third. Dr. Fareeda Naseer, the senior most lady golfer from Peshawar, demonstrated her knack for golf in Seniors Category by winning the gross prize. In Junior Girls (U-14) Category, Zoha Zeehan and Zaina Zeeshan won first and second positions respectively. Summing up the performances, the top three players, Humna Amjad, Parkha Ijaz and Rimsha Ijaz belong to Peshawar, treading the path of Soni Wali. A special mention needs to be made of two, U-14 girls, i.e. Ramin Amin and Sara Amin, both also from Peshawar, who played 13 and 14 under over the course of the Tournament, dropping their H’caps in a short span of only 2 years from 36 to 10 and 14 respectively. It’s worth mentioning here that Ramin and Sara credited their excellent performances to the experience that they had gained from their recent participation in the 22nd Sarawak Premier International Junior Golf Championship held recently in Malaysia, organized by Dr. Asma Shami in her capacity as Patron of Ace Junior Golf League. Vice President Peshawar Golf Club Air Commodore Shahid Waheed was the chief guest at the scintillating prize distribution ceremony. He complimented Dr Ghazala Shams and her Tournament Committee, comprising entirely of ladies, for planning and conducting this mega event in such an exemplary manner. He especially lauded the role of Chief Referee, Mrs. Munazza Shaheen, for conducting this championship strictly according to the rules. She has recently added to her laurels by earning R&A Level-2 Certification with a distinction.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Upcoming female golfer, Aroobal Ali will take part in the 22nd Sarawak Junior International Golf Championship Malaysia. Arooba Ali began her career as a golf player in 2015 at the young age of 14. But only in a short span of one year, she won her first golf tournament in 2016. She ranked among the top players in the tournaments. Arooba Ali said: “This was not an easy journey as I won and lost many times during this time. Finally, success came in 2018 as I became the best lady golfer of the country. My father was the person who stood by me throughout this journey, and he supported me. My family’s help and support transformed my weaknesses into strengths.” Arooba Ali has come a long way from playing national level championships during the early days of her career, to becoming a national player. Arooba, who will go abroad to represent the country at an international championship.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: Qasim Ali Khan has won the title of Sindh Amateur Golf Championship 2022, as in the final round on Sunday at Karachi Golf Club, the winners of Lahore Gymkhana reached on top in the score-sheet with score of 220-Four over par. Omar Shikoh Khan (H-Cap 1) from KGC  got second position with the score of 223-seven over par. Arsalan Khan of KGC with H-Cap 3 grabbed third position by scoring 223- seven under. In the senior veteran’s H-Cap 0-7 category, Khurram Khan of KGC led this year, followed by Brig Mohsin Farooq from Rumanza Multan. Zahid Ibrahim held third position in this category. The new leader in Senior H-Cap 8-14 was Brig Qasim Changezi. Runner up being Salman Ali. Zahid Ibrahim of KGC was leading in the Senior category, followed by Khurram Khan as runner up. The prize distribution ceremony was attended by SGA and KGC office bearers, KGC members and leading members of the Golf community. President Sindh Golf Association- Khurram Khan congratulated winners and participants of the Tournament. He thanked the sponsors, KGC management his own team in successfully organising the 22nd SGA Amateur Championship. Khurram Khan said: “This championship is bring forward the new and hidden Golf talent in Pakistan. I am thankful to Zafar Mahmood, Ghazanfar Abbas and Irfan Rasheed for their utmost cooperation and support. I am also thankful to Babar Siddiqui of Paragon Developers for sponsoring the tournament.”

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: Local golfer Abdullah Ansar has earned lead with 73-one over par on the opening day of the 22nd Paragon Sindh Amateur Golf Championship that started here at Karachi Golf Club on Friday. Abdullah Ansar from KGC was leading with 73-one over par after 18 holes game. Arsalan Khan of the same club along with Qasim Ali Khan of Gymkhana Club were jointly following Abdullah with 75- three over par. Danyal Khan from KGC was occupying 4th position on Day 1. In the veteran’s category, Major Rizwan Farooq of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) was leading with 40 – four over nine holes. He was followed by Rehan Mirza with 41 – five over nine holes. Col Shahid Mahboob was leading in over 75 years category with 39 – over five holes. The final round will be played on Sunday 30th October, 2022. Weather and visibility today at KGC were helpful. The defending champion Yashal Shah is not competing due to his participation at Asia Pacific Amateur Golf Championship in Thailand.