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VOLLEYBALL - National 04 Apr, 2025
Sports Bulletin ReportPOF WAH: The Golootlo 54th National Senior Men's Volleyball Championship 2025 started at POF Wah on Friday, as the top teams from across the country showcased their talent on the opening day.The championship opened with Punjab facing Balochistan, where Punjab dominated the match with a straight 3-0 victory, securing set points of 25-13, 25-16, 25-17. In the second match, WAPDA demonstrated its superior gameplay against AJK, claiming another 3-0 win with set scores of 25-13, 25-12, 25-13.The third match saw Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) take on Gilgit Baltistan (GB). KP controlled the game entirely, winning comfortably 3-0 with set scores of 25-09, 25-09, 25-13. The fourth and most anticipated match of the day was also the official opening match, featuring Pakistan Air Force (PAF) against Pakistan U19. PAF emerged victorious with a 3-0 win, sealing set points 25-21, 25-18, 25-19.April 5, 2025 (Fixtures):PAF vs Gilgit Baltistan – 10:00 AMSindh vs Navy – 12:00 PMPolice vs POF – 2:00 PMAJK vs Islamabad – 5:00 PMKPK vs Pakistan U-19 – 7:00 PMArmy vs Balochistan – 9:00 PM
FOOTBALL - Int News 04 Apr, 2025
Sports Bulletin ReportColombo (Sri Lanka): The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) delegation participated in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Extraordinary Congress 2025, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.A two-member PFF delegation, led by President Saud Azim Hashimi and Acting General Secretary Mohammad Shahid Niaz Khokhar, actively represented Pakistan in the high-level gathering. The event was presided over by Kazi Salahuddin, President of SAFF. Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), attended the event as a special guest. During the congress, Purushottam Kattel, a former AFC official, was appointed as the new General Secretary of SAFF, marking a significant administrative development for the South Asian football. One of the key highlights of the event was a dedicated meeting between the PFF leadership and AFC President Shaikh Salman, accompanied by Vahid Kardany, Deputy General Secretary of the AFC, who played a crucial role in the recent PFF Congress settlement, ensuring alignment of the PFF Statutes with AFC and FIFA.During the discussion, the focus remained on the ongoing normalization process in Pakistan football and the upcoming PFF elections, both considered crucial milestones in revitalizing the country’s footballing landscape. PFF President and NC Chairman Saud Azim Hashimi briefed the AFC President on the progress of the PFF elections and outlined the steps ahead in the electoral process.Expressing optimism, Shaikh Salman shared his hopeful expectations for a new era of leadership to emerge from the upcoming PFF elections. He emphasised that strong, stable leadership is essential for the sport’s growth in Pakistan and pledged all-out AFC support to assist the country in its journey toward football development and excellence. The PFF delegation also held productive sideline discussions with leaders of other SAFF member nations, where they explored avenues for regional collaboration, joint ventures, and strategies to advance shared goals in South Asian football.
FOOTBALL - FIFA News 04 Apr, 2025
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The first edition of the FIFA Futsal World Ranking for the year, which was published on Friday 4 April 2025, revealed some significant changes – in both tables – on the back of 183 women’s matches and 192 in the men’s game.In the Women’s Futsal Ranking, there was a notable rise in the number of matches played around the world, with 111 games already played in 2025 – nearly doubling the amount that took place during the same period a year earlier. Nevertheless, the first four positions remain the same as the previous update in October 2024 with Brazil, Spain, Portugal, and Argentina leading the table in front of Thailand (5th, up 1) and Italy (6th, up 2). The biggest climbers are Morocco (47th, up 18), Norway (53rd, up 15), Czechia (45th, up 12), France (49th, up 11), and Slovakia (40th, up 10).Five new teams enter the fray, namely Australia (59th), the USA (73rd), England (76th), Senegal (78th), and India (79th). Australia remains undefeated after its first four official matches, all of which were FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup Philippines 2025™ qualifiers, and thus makes its ranking debut in a considerably higher position than the other newcomers. March 2025 saw several teams secure qualification for the tournament, with Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain (UEFA) set to join Argentina, Brazil and Colombia (CONMEBOL) at its first edition kicking off in November.In the latest Men’s Futsal Ranking table, Brazil remain ahead of Portugal with a lead of more than 100 points. Spain (3rd, up 1) have overtaken Argentina (4th, down 1), while IR Iran (5th, up 1) and Morocco (6th, plus 1) have also risen at the cost of Kazakhstan (7th, down 2). Poland (19th, up 3) and Armenia (20th, up 11) both make their first appearance in the top 20.Apart from Armenia, there are several teams that have improved their positions by more than 10 ranks since last October, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina (36th, up 12), Andorra (55th, up 13), Latvia (60th, up 11), and Greece (88th, up 19). AFC hosted the most fixtures since the last rankings release, with Indonesia (21st, up 7) a notable riser.
Serena Masters Tennis Series: Aqeel and Ushna claim singles titles
Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The 3rd edition of the Serena Masters Series concluded at the PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, with the straight games victories of Aqeel Khan and Ushna Suhail in the finals here. Aqeel Khan ousted Barkatullah 6-3, 6-2 in the men’s singles while Ushna Suhail thrashed Sheeza Sajid 6-4, 4-0 (retd) to win the Masters Cup title.Men's Doubles Final: Due to inclement weather, the match was abandoned at 3-all, and both teams, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi/Aqeel Khan and Shahzad Khan/Mohammad Abid, were declared joint winners.The closing ceremony was attended by Syed Fahim Inam, Chief Marketing Officer, Serena Hotels, as the chief guest, and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President-PTF, as the guest of honour. Other notable attendees included Major Suleman Junaid SEVP-PTF, Suhail Khawaja SVP-PTF , Saeed Ahmad Khan SVP-PTF, Col. Zia-ud-Din Tufail -Secretary General-PTF, Imran Hassan-Serena Hotels, Col. Gul Rehman-PTF, Sidra Zaheer -Serena Hotels and a large number of players, parents, coaches, and media representatives.Syed Fahim Inam, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, and Col. Zia-ud-Din Tufail distributed prizes among the winners and runners-up, congratulated them on their achievements. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi expressed heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Aziz Boolani, CEO of Serena Hotels, for his unwavering support and immense encouragement for Pakistan's tennis players.
HBL PSL X tickets to go on sale from 3 April: PCB
Lahore (PR): HBL PSL X tickets will go on sale online from Thursday, 3 April, at 3pm PKT as the marquee event is all set to commence from 11 April. The six-team tournament will be played at the four cities – Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi, with the final scheduled at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 18 May.Physical tickets will go on sale at designated TCS express centres (infographic attached) from 7 April onwards. Tickets booked online can also be collected from TCS designated pick-up centres or can be home-delivered by TCS. The tickets will be available to fans at an affordable rate, with general tickets available to fans at PKR 650 at all four venues. The tickets for the opening match scheduled at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium between Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars will be available from PKR 1,000 to PKR 8,500.
TENNIS - ITF Juniors 28 Mar, 2025
Islamabad (Sports Desk): A 15-year-old Mikaeel Ali Baig has shown incredible form over the past three weeks, playing the Davis Cup Junior Championship and two consecutive ITFs in Sri Lanka.Despite a challenging draw this week, he reached BOTH singles and doubles finals. And he emerged as the Doubles Champion with partner Oscar! This marks his 6th ITF final appearance in just a few months and his FIRST title. Due to his consistent performances, Mikaeel's world ranking has skyrocketed from the 1400s to the 800s.
POLO - Local News 28 Mar, 2025
Lahore (PR): The grand final of the Ecostar Lahore Polo Club Super League 2025 will be played on Saturday (March 29), at 4:00 pm between Remington Pharma and IS Polo/Master Knights at Lahore Polo Club.Following the first phase of the league matches at the Lahore Polo Club, two teams successfully qualified for the final. IS Polo/Master Knights, emerging from Pool A, won all four of their matches, securing a place in the final. Their squad includes Sufi Mohammad Hashim, Ibrahim Sultan, Bilal Hayat Noon, and Raja Taimoor Nadeem.Similarly, Remington Pharma dominated Pool B, winning all four matches and earning their spot in the final. The team comprises Ibrahim Khan, Dr Faisal Qadeer Khokhar, Mir Huzaifa Ahmed, and Hamza Muawaz Khan.The guest of honor for the final will be Naeem Bashir, General Manager Sales at Ecostar. Before the final, a third-place match will be played between Ecostar Polo Team and Newage Cables. Ecostar Polo secured three victories out of four matches in Pool A, while Newage Cables also won three matches in Pool B, finishing as runners-up.The Ecostar Polo Team consists of Zackariya Daud Ali Khan, Faisal Khan, Ahmed Bilal Riaz, and Mumtaz Abbas Niazi, whereas Newage Cables team features Ibrahim Siddiqui, Adnan Jaleel Azam, Abdul Rehman Monnoo, and Ahmed Ali Twana.
CLIMBING - Int News 28 Mar, 2025
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The IFSC Speed World Cup Klagenfurt 2025 which had been set to take place in July has been removed from the 2025 calendar. Due to sponsor withdrawal, organisers ACTS Sportveranstaltungen GmbH are now unable to host with absolute certainty and the event has been removed from the upcoming World Cup Series of events. Set to be the sixth and final Speed World Cup competition of the 2025 season, the IFSC is now working tirelessly for an alternative venue and city to host the event. Initial talks with ACTS Sportveranstaltungen GmbH were to include a Speed World Cup as part of a multisport event where the IFSC has enjoyed previous success, but the desire to host a standalone Climbing event meant the inclusion of the south Austrian city on the 2025 calendar.Now however, the IFSC has removed the event and will look to find an appropriate replacement with ACTS Sportveranstaltungen GmbH unable to fulfil the IFSC World Cup hosting criteria. The removal does not affect the IFSC World Cup Innsbruck 2025 – which includes Boulder, Lead and Para Climbing – that is set for June and organised by Austria Climbing.
Draw and seedings announced for U23 World Squash Championships
Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The seedings and draws have been announced for the 2025 U23 World Squash Championships, which are taking place at DHA Creek Club, Karachi, from 6-10 April this year 2025.The 2025 U23 World Squash Championships is the first edition of the new event, which features a 32-player draw in both men's and women's events, a $60,000USD prize pot and a spot in the PSA World Championships for the winners.In the women's event, World No.13 Fayrouz Aboelkheir tops the draw, with the 19-year-old receiving a bye through to round two and set to play the winner of the round one clash between Spain's Noa Romero Blazquez and Pakistan's Mariam Malik.Aboelkheir is one of two Egyptians in the women's draw and, should the tournament go to seedings, the Alexandrian will take on No.2 seed Malak Khafagy in an all-Egyptian final.Hoping to spoil the party will be Malaysian No.3 seed Aira Azman, a silver medal winner at the 2023 World Junior Championships, and No.4 seed Sin Yuk Chan of Hong Kong, China.Chan is joined by two compatriots in the top eight seeds, with Heylie Fung seeded fifth and Toby Tse seeded eighth.Completing the seedings are Japan No.2 Akari Midorikawa, who has been seeded sixth, and No.7 seed Xin Ying Yee of Malaysia.Also in action for the hosts are Sana Bahadar and Amna Fayyaz, with Bahadar up against Czechia's Tamara Holzbauerová and Fayyaz taking on Japan's Kurumi Takahashi.In the men's event, World No.61 Ibrahim Elkabbani tops the draw, with the Egyptian drawn against Poland's Leon Krysiak in the opening match.Noor Zaman represents the hosts' best hope, with the 20-year-old Peshawari - grandson of the legendary Qamar Zaman - the tournament's No.2 seed and drawn against Kuwait's Hussain Alzaatari in round one.Also representing Pakistan in Karachi are 2023 World Junior Champion Hamza Khan, who plays Spain's Hugo Lafuente Jaen in round one, and Muhammad Ammad, who has been drawn against No.4 seed Mohammed Naseer.Khan is one of two former world champions in the men's draw, with the 19-year-old joined by the Netherlands' Rowan Damming. Damming, World Junior Champion in 2022, is No.7 seed and will face Malta's Kijan Sultana in round one.
PCB announces departure of Communications Director
Lahore (PCB): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced that Sami Ul Hasan has stepped down as Director of Media and Communications, a role that also encompassed digital media responsibilities. He had informed the PCB in December 2024 of his intention to conclude his tenure following the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.Sami had rejoined the PCB in March 2019 after spending 13 years with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai, with his last assignment being Head of Media and Communications. Prior to his time with the sport’s governing body, he served as the PCB’s General Manager – Media from 2002 to 2004, following a 14-year career as a cricket correspondent for the Dawn newspaper.PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed: “Sami has been an important member of the PCB’s executive team, bringing vast experience and expertise to the organisation. His contributions in shaping modern communication strategies, strengthening media relations and elevating the digital landscape have been invaluable. Under his leadership, the Media, Communications and Digital department has played a key role in significantly enhancing the PCB’s engagement with stakeholders - both locally and globally - most notably in the lead up to and during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. On behalf of the PCB, I extend our gratitude to Sami for his dedication and professionalism and wish him success in his future endeavors.”Sami Ul Hasan said: “It has been a privilege to serve the PCB for the second time and contribute to its growth during a transformative period. I step away with immense satisfaction, knowing that the Media, Communications and Digital team has evolved into one of the most respected and highly professional departments. Seeing the department and its talented individuals flourish has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my time here. As I step into the next chapter of my career, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to senior leaders and colleagues for their support, collaboration and trust. A special thanks to the media fraternity for their cooperation and support - I look forward to crossing paths again in the future!”
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