Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD:-The international sports website www.sports-bulletin.com celebrated World Sports’ Journalists’ Day on July 2, 2023, as the ceremony was taken place at the residence of the Editor Abdul Jabbar Faisal at Nayab House Media Town here.The sports journalists from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad joined the ceremony, as journalists cut the cake on this occasion to celebrate the day. Veteran female journalist Fozia Shahid, who was also former President of the Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) graced the occasion as a special guest.Also, Nasir Aslam Raja, Mohsen Ali, Nasir Hashmi, Shahid-ul-Haq, Raziuddin Ahmed, Waqar Ahmad Khan, Abdullah Asjad, Azaz Ahmed, Hammad Kayani, Haroon Zulfiqar, and others were present on this eve. While addressing the ceremony, the speakers highlighted the importance of sports journalism and sports journalists. On this occasion, all the participants requested Indian sports journalists to do their best to keep sports away from politics and ask the Indian government to take concrete steps in this regard.Abdul Jabbar Faisal, Editor of Sports Bulletin, said:“Just like sportsmen are ambassadors of peace and make the name of the country bright sports journalists go abroad and present the soft image of the country through their role and character. Sports journalists play an important role in the development of sports. We give equal importance to all sports and their development and promotion.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD:-The Sports Minister of Sri Lanka Roshan Ranasinghe called on Minister of Inter-Provincial  Coordination (IPC) Ehsaan ur Rahman Mazari at his office on Thursday.Accordin to an official of IPC ministry, a meeting was held between the Sports Minister of Sri Lanka Roshan Ranasinghe, and Minister of IPC Pakistan Ehsaan ur Rahman Mazari here on Thursday. The Legendary Sri Lankan Cricket Arjuna Ranatunga and the Secretary Sports Ministry of Sri Lanka were also present at the occasion. Both Ministers discussed matters of Mutual interest regarding sports. Federal Minister for IPC offered support to Sri Lankan Minister for the provision of coaches in the field of sports like hockey Squash, and Kabbadi. “We can deepen our existing relationship between people to people, “said Mazari.Sri Lankan Minister appreciated Pakistan’s cooperation in the field of sports especially the provision of Rs. 52.000 million for the development of sports. Both Ministers agreed to improve ties between both governments by implementing the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and signing new MoUs and exploring new avenues of cooperation.

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD:-The international bikers with a “Peace Message arrived in the capital city Islamabad on Thursday and will leave for the next destination Northern Areas en route on Karakoram Highway on Friday morning.A convoy of 33 persons arrived here on Thursday morning, as they entered Pakistan territory from Iran to Quetta, as they were traveling after 25 years in the same way. They rested here and are planning to resume their journey on Friday morning.They have seven bikes and drivers change their driving seats and pillion each other during the long journey. The bikers belong to Iran and Malaysia to spread the message of peace in 16 countries. Finally, they will enter India on June 13, 2023, via Wagha Border.They will also visit the beautiful areas of Pakistan including Gilgit, Sakurdo, and other historical places, which attract foreign tourists. “Pakistan is a beautiful place and here the people love foreigners and say welcome to all staying spots. Our message is only peace. Here local authorities also helped us and said a warm welcome to all members of the contingent, “said a biker. 

Sports Bulletin ReportMumbai (India):-The opening season of the Premier Handball League (PHL) is only a month away now, with interest in the league rising up day by day, as the thrilling handball matches will start from June 8, 2023 Jaipur, Rajasthan. A well-known sports presenter, Charu Sharma played a vital role in different private leagues in India in varying capacities. While talking about PHL Charu Sharma said, “I'm really excited about the fact that it is a new league and it is getting a new opportunity in our part of the world to move ahead. Handball is an Olympic sport, it's a very popular sport in many parts of the world and so too in India, but it just hasn't had the profile or the pedestal to stand and enjoy the spotlight in our nation. But this Premier Handball League is a massive step to shining the spotlight on the sport, so I am excited about that.” He went on to talk about why a private handball league was needed in India as he said, “This is the biggest moment for handball in India. Sometimes international success also matters a great deal, but that's once a year or once every five years. More tournaments need to be held in India. This is not easy but more important than that is a professional league because it shows people who play the sport a way for the future to make a livelihood, because right now you may say that you want to play for the country and you want to win, which is better for the country, but the rewards are not fantastic because if you're not winning medals, then the rewards are not there.” Charu further added, “The minute there's a professional league, not one, not 12, but hundreds of players will make a living gradually as it will get better and better, and they will get jobs as the whole ecosystem of handball is going to improve rapidly.” The veteran sports broadcaster then talked about why he feels Handball as a sport will see a boom in popularity and viewership in India. He said, “It is a highly athletic sport. There's constant running around, it's like basketball in a sense and those leaping goals that we see very often there's constant movement and I think for any sport to do well in terms of viewership or in terms of visible impact for all those who are watching on either television or other media or in the stadiums. The fact that there's constant movement is very engaging for spectators. You can't take your eyes off the court; you can't say I'll see it 5 minutes later because there's such constant movement and action taking place.” “It's a sport that's relatively without the infrastructure in our country that can rival international facilities. If you play indoors at the highest international level, you require a certain level of sophisticated infrastructure. But it's a sport that you can play out on the ground, anywhere on a lawn or wherever else you want. I think by seeing these handball players and the overseas stars that are coming in, there will be a lot of interest, especially among youngsters who would want to play the game,” Charu Sharma concluded.

Sports Bulletin ReportJaipur (India): The stage is ready at the Sawani Mansingh Indoor Stadium to host the first Premier Handball League (PHL) from June 8 to 25, 2023 Jaipur, Rajasthan.According to an official, the event will see the 6 teams including Rajasthan Patriots, Garvit Gujarat, Maharashtra Ironmen, Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, Telugu Talons and Delhi Panzers to compete against each other to win the honour at the indoor facility on a Teraflex handball surface.The international sports arena has also hosted multiple Pro Kabaddi League matches since 2014 as it is the home of Jaipur Pink Panthers, as the venue is owned and managed by the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC).President RSSC Dr Krishna Poonia said:“I am very happy and honour for us to stage the first season of the Premier Handball League will be held at the modern and unique Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium in Jaipur. We are dedicated to organizing a notable sporting event in the state and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. We are sure the PHL will provide a platform for players to show their talents and game skill during the 18-day fixture.” Chairman of Bluesport Entertainment, Dr. Ajay Data said:“I would like to express my gratitude to Dr Poonia and the Rajasthan State Sports Council for hosting the inaugural season of the Premier Handball League. The facilities in the stadium are flawless and will add to the extravaganza of the league. We are eagerly looking forward to the first match at the venue and packed crowds.” Vivek Lodha, Director of Finance said:“For any private league to be successful, it needs support from the government. The Infrastructure Rajasthan has to offer for indoor sports is phenomenal and it’s all thanks to the Rajasthan State Sports Council. I am delighted that the first season of the Premier Handball League will be held in Jaipur. The amazing Sawai Mansingh Stadium is ready for this fixture.”  

Players from Russia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Philippines to participate in LeagueSports Bulletin ReportMumbai (India): It’s almost time for India to Handball as the inaugural edition of the Premier Handball League (PHL) inches closure with the conclusion of its auction process late on Sunday. A total of 116 players including International, India Internationals, and Domestic Handball talent were up for selection by six franchises namely Delhi Panzers, Garvit Gujarat, Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Ironmen, Rajasthan Team (yet to be named) and Telugu Talons.The auctions started with the category of foreign players, the international players represented the Asian Handball Federation amongst other federations and all 18 International players were picked up by the teams. Each team was allowed to only select one foreign right-back, left-back and goalkeeper respectively. In terms of the biggest foreign imports, Telugu Talons went for the services of Andrei Igorevich Nedbailo (Goalkeeper) from Russia – a six-time Russian champion. Garvit Gujarat picked up Tuliboev Mukhtor (Right Back) from Uzbekistan, the 24-year-old is known for his exploits with the Uzbek team at the Interamnia World Cup wherein they clinched gold.Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh also made sure they didn’t fall short and went all out to secure the services of Iran’s Omid Reza (Goal Keeper), who has represented his country in the IHF Handball World Cup in the last two World Cup editions. On the other hand, Maharashtra Ironmen secured the services of Iran’s Right Back Jalal Kiani. Kiani is a silver medallist with the national team at the Asian Games. Delhi Panzers went for the 20-year-old Artem Martynov (Right Back) from Russia, a 2019 Russian Handball Championship gold medallist. Lastly, it was the Rajasthan Team (yet to be named) who selected the services of Iraq’s left-back Baderaladeen Naser. The second category was reserved for Indian star players and 42 players were up for selection by the franchises. Under this category, each team was allowed to pick only one player for each of the seven positions i.e. Right Back, Left Back, Centre Back, Right Wing, Left Wing and Pivot. Amongst the top Indian buys, Telugu Talons went for Raghu Kumara (Pivot) a four-time national champion, Garvit Gujarat secured Harender Singh Nain (Right Back) as their star Indian player, a three-time national champion and a two-time Gold medallist at the Federation Cup Tournaments and Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh selected Bhushan Shinde (Right Wing) as their most valuable Indian asset for the 2 / 2 league.For Maharashtra Ironmen, winger Ankit Kumar – a member of Gold Medal Winning Indian Squads for the IHF Trophy- in 2016 & 2018 and a Silver medallist at the 2019 South Asian Games was the most valuable player. Delhi Panzers went for Pivot Mintu Sardar again a three-time national champion and lastly, it was Rajasthan who selected Robin Singh (Left Back) – a four-time national champion as their most valuable Indian star player. The final category of the day was called Role Players and 56 domestic Indian players were a part of the same. 42 out of the 56 were picked. Telugu Talons’ most valuable in this category was Rahul Nain (Pivot), Garvit Gujarat went with Right Back – Surender Kumar, and Golden Eagles selected Sanchit Gupta (Right Wing) and Mohit Punia (Right Back) joined Maharashtra Ironmen. Delhi Panzers went with youth and picked up the 20-year-old Pivot Deepak and lastly, Rajasthan secured Mohit Ghanghas (Left Back) as their biggest player in the Role Players category. Manu Agrawal, CEO of Bluesport Entertainment Private Limited said:“It was an exhilarating experience. We have been working on solidifying the structure of the Premier Handball League for a while. A successful auction process has taken us a step closer to D-Day. I would like to thank all the franchise owners, the South Asian Handball Federation and Handball Association India for making the auctions a huge success. Being the first edition, it took a lot of research by the franchises to select the best 17 for their team but this also makes the inaugural season even more exciting as a lot of unknown elements will be at play when they finally get onto the field.”The Premier Handball League (PHL), is sanctioned by the South Asian Handball Federation and affiliated with the Asian Handball Federation (AHF). The inaugural season of the Premier Handball League is set to kick off on June 8 and run until June 25, 2023.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD: The 6-day training camp for visually impaired women and girls concluded here at Margzar cricket ground on Monday that was organized by Australian High Commission to Pakistan in collaboration with the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) and Serena Hotels. Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins said: “Australia’s support aims to provide more women and girls with disabilities the opportunities to compete and demonstrate their ability, while promoting inclusion in sport. We hope to break gender stereotypes and negative perceptions associated with people with disabilities through our support of this initiative. Australia and Pakistan share a passion for cricket, so we are happy to support the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council’s efforts to bring women and girls living with disabilities into the sport,”. Chairman PBCC Syed Sultan Shah said: “Blind Cricket is a sport that has gained popularity in recent years for its unique approach to inclusivity. It provides an opportunity for people with visual impairments to compete at a high level, develop their skills and confidence, and become people of vision, both on and off the field. I hope that this initiative will inspire more people with disabilities to participate in sports and lead fulfilling lives.” It is pertinent to mention here that the two blind factory workers invented blind cricket in Melbourne, Australia, in 1922 when they improvised the game using a tin can containing rocks. A few years later, in 1928, the first sports ground and clubhouse for blind cricket was built at Kooyong in Melbourne.

Dubai (UAE): Sports and online gaming exchange has gained massive popularity since enthusiasts began discovering easier and quicker ways to indulge in the thrill of wagering responsibly. Popular Bollywood celebrity actress Jacqueline Fernandez has now hopped onto the brand ambassador bandwagon for the well known and widely trusted brand: FairPlay. Of Sri Lankan origin, Jacqueline has predominantly worked in Hindi films and is now a household name with a staggering fan following among Bollywood fanatics. FairPlay was founded in 2019 and provides a sports and gaming exchange for cricket and 30 other premium sports. It is known for regularly offering the highest odds in the market, ensuring value to users. Research confirms FairPlay as the most trusted sports and gaming exchange operating in India. Jacqueline’s contagious energy and her fun loving personality make her the perfect face for a brand like FairPlay. A FairPlay spokesperson said, “we’re excited to have Jacqueline onboard. Team FairPlay believes that this association will bring out the best in both parties and we look forward to a fruitful partnership with Jacqueline.” Having garnered the love of millions in her over a decade long career in Bollywood, Jacqueline has always been known and loved for her contagious zeal and enthusiasm. The adrenaline rush that pumps through a gamer in a casino or an exciting sports match is well represented by Jacqueline’s fun spirited personality. “I’m excited to represent FairPlay” Jacqueline said. “I believe that responsible gaming can be thrilling and exciting to say the least and FairPlay is the best in the game!” Jacqueline has since her debut made her mark in the industry. The gaming world is one where the possibilities are endless and needless to say, thrilling. Jacqueline brings to the brand a face that suits the personality that both her and FairPlay can carry individually and as a team. A leading Bollywood actress and a leader in the online gaming industry- FairPlay is definitely a partnership to watch out for (PR).

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD: Over the years, India has achieved massive success in the field of sports. One of the key reasons behind it is the emergence of various leagues and tournaments in the country that has allowed many players to get the right exposure and showcase their talent on a global stage. The leagues have unearthed many talented players in India. An MBA graduate, Madhukar Shree has been in the field of sports management for over a decade and has been fortunate enough to have worked closely with many of the leagues and players not only in the Indian subcontinent but globally. Apart from working and heading a few teams and IPs across various sports, including cricket, kho kho, badminton, tennis, football etc. Madhukar has closely worked with many world-class athletes and investors to explore, evaluate and execute investments across leagues and new IPs. Aiming to use his experience, learnings, network and knowledge to guide investors, so that they invest smartly in the right direction to achieve their goals and help the entire sporting ecosystem in the country to scale new heights. "Sports in India have seen massive growth in the last two decades, and the emergence of different leagues and tournaments in the country plus globally has certainly played a big role in it. The leagues have produced many star players across India in different sports, and we need to increase the number of leagues to unearth more talents in the country. The only way to do that is to bring more investment in the sporting ecosystem of India," commented Madhukar Shree. He added, "I have been working with many leagues, companies and athletes across India and globally. In my career, I have learned a lot about the sporting ecosystem and will like to use my knowledge to contribute to the growth of different sports in India. I want to guide different brands and investors to explore the opportunities in sports in India. I aim to help them evaluate and invest in the right products in the country, which aligns with their goals and vision for sports in India." Madhukar Shree is also excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and believes that Indian sports still have the potential to grow at a rapid pace.

KARACHI: Glenn Cundari, head coach of International Special Olympic (ISO) Canada, has said that children with mental and physical disabilities have additional characteristics, they are differently talented, and they are more interested in sports and music. He said that there is immense talent among special children in Pakistan and their abilities are in no way less than other special children in the world. He expressed these thoughts on the occasion of a visit to SCINOSA, a school for special children in Karachi, along with Taha Tahir, National Director of Special Olympics Pakistan, and Farkhunda Jabeen, Sports Director. Rizwana Khanum, the principal of the school, informed the detail about the facilities available for special children including football, table tennis, basketball and tennis, along with other sports and educational activities, in terms of computer, painting, art and craft; said that the school not only pays attention to their care but also organizes various events for their entertainment as well as an annual sports day and sports equipment and coaching services are also available for special players at the school. Glenn Cundari said, “Yes, I am very happy to see the activities of special children in the school and management of Scinosa is busy day and night in the services of special children in the spirit of service to humanity. I salute their spirit, he added. Glenn Cundari also played table tennis, basketball, and football with special children on this occasion. (Press Release)