Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Munich (Germany):-The Polish women dominated proceedings at the European Championships Munich 2022 as they locked out the podium of the women’s speed final before Ukraine’s Danyil Boldyrev danced with delight at taking the men’s title. For the third day in a row, a full house at the Königsplatz in Munich, Germany, watched on excitedly as the speedsters went to work on the 15m Speed wall as the crowds cheered every race and tight finish. Looking at the start list for the women’s event, it was hard to look past a strong Polish squad of five climbers which included a current world champion and world record holder. And they didn’t disappoint. Three medals were assured for the nation as the semifinal line up was made up of Aleksandra Miroslaw, Natalia Kalucka, Aleksandra Kalucka and Patrycja Chudziak – who knocked out compatriot Anna Brozek in the quarterfinal, all representing Poland.  World record holder Miroslaw was a second clear of Chudziak in her semifinal and awaited one of the Kalucka sisters who faced off in the other semi. It was Aleksandra who just edged the sibling rivalry to advance for a shot at the gold while Natalia had to battle for bronze.  The final was a tense affair with Miroslaw seeming to stall near the start of the route, but she kept her cool as Aleksandra Kalucka looked to have a stutter of her own to let her rival edge ahead. Miroslaw tapped the top at 6.922 to take gold with Kalucka just behind with 7.085 and a silver medal. "I was prepared for this for the whole year,” said Miroslaw. “I was always expecting that my championship competition would be the best one. Sometimes it is not very good, like last year's world championship, but I know that I took a lesson (from that) and I wanted to win here this European title." In the bronze medal match Natalia Kalucka ensured she joined her sister on the podium by tapping at 7.197 compared to Chudziak’s 7.459. Natalia Kalucka said: “I’m really happy because this year was really hard for me and I’m very proud of myself and my sister. I like competing with my sister.”

Sports Bulletin Report Munich (Germany):-Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret claimed her second European Championship gold medal in as many days in front of another packed out crowd at the Königsplatz in Munich, Germany, before Adam Ondra of the Czech Republic also secured his second medal of the Championships. Fresh off a maiden European victory in yesterday’s Lead competition, Garnbret quickly added another Munich 2022 title by taking Boulder gold, but the Slovenian had to come back from a slow start to take the top step of the podium. As home favourite Hannah Meul and France’s Oriane Bertone both topped the first Boulder, Garnbret only managed to take a zone. The second problem was a totally different story though. With only Fanny Gibert of France reaching the zone, Garnbret entered the arena, quickly flashed the problem, and exited at the top of the rankings. Another flashed third Boulder and a final zone secured her medal. “Today was tough,” said Garnbret. “I started off pretty badly with the first boulder, not doing it, but I didn't panic. I just said to myself, ‘look, you have three boulders in front of you, anything can happen' and I continued to have fun.” Germany’s Meul had tried to put the pressure on Garnbret by flashing the third problem of the evening, but that in turn ultimately put pressure on the rest of the final’s competitors for the medal positions. Obviously buoyed by the home support, and asking for more noise whenever she needed it, Meul was spurred on to secure silver with fewer attempts for her two tops and three zones ahead of Bertone who took bronze.

Sports Bulletin Report Munich (Germany):-A sell-out crowd was in attendance at the Königsplatz in Munich, Germany to see Austria's Nicolai Uznik take men's Boulder gold and Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret claim yet another title, one that had been missing from her very impressive collection.  A European title had eluded Garnbret so far in her climbing career, but she was determined to change all that right from the start of the European Championships Munich 2022. The Olympic champion led the women's Lead qualification, led the semifinals, and took gold with a 50+ from a 51-hold final climb.  “It feels amazing to tick the remaining box,” said Garnbret:“The European Championships is probably one of the hardest to win because you are expected to win it. If you can win World Cups, then people think that you should also win the European Championships. That's how it is. “It was definitely one of the hardest mentally to win. That's why I'm even happier with my performance and my mentality throughout all competition.”  Looking on as Garnbret climbed to gold was Austria’s Jessica Pilz who had set the target of 45+ for her rival. Pilz knew sitting top with just Garnbret to come that she would have an upgraded European medal from the two bronze’s she had previously won. She just didn’t know what colour it would be. Unfortunately for the Austrian it wasn’t the top step this time as she had to settle for silver.  Pilz said: “It was super fun to climb like that and the crowd was amazing. The route was also pretty nice to climb. It was a super long route, but it was fun. “I think I had the wrong boulder in the end because I tried it fast, and it was better to go slow but I’m still happy about second place. It was a great performance.” Manon Hily of France had been climbing well and was near the top of the qualification standings and semifinals. As Hily reached 41 to move to 42 she came off the wall and looked visibly disappointed. Her 41+ was enough for a bronze medal though above fourth placed Mia Krampl of Slovenia. “I was very excited, and I felt in good shape, so all was good for me today. The route was not so tricky. It was a very good climb,” said Hily. In fifth position was Aleksandra Totkova of Bulgaria who matched Krampl’s 40+ just ahead of Eliska Adamovska of the Czech Republic who finished sixth. The home crowd favourite, Germany’s Hannah Meul was seventh overall reaching 37 as Ukrainian Ievgeniia Kazbekova rounded out the final standings in eighth with 18+. The evening session of the European Championships Munich 2022 saw the men’s Boulder competition take centre stage, following the women’s Lead competition, with Austria’s Nicolai Uznik crowned champion. The packed out Königsplatz was treated to a tense finale to the day’s competition as the three top semifinal qualifiers battled it out for medals. Uznik, Adam Ondra of the Czech Republic and France’s Sam Avezou all came into the final performing well and were ahead going on to the final Boulder. All three had two tops and two zones but it was Uznik who rose above his rivals with fewer attempts in his performance. “That's one of the coolest competitions I've ever competed in,” said Uznik. “Especially with such a big and awesome crowd, you just want to deliver a show. That's what I tried to do because after the first boulder I felt I couldn't really climb anymore. So, I was thinking okay let's enjoy this and at least put on a good show. Try to give all I have and it turned out to be pretty good.” Taking the silver medal was Avezou who has tasted European success multiple times at Youth Cup and Youth Championship level, although the Frenchman couldn’t quite fully believe it: “I’m very happy, but I can’t process it right now. I did my best and that was all I could do.” Ondra had a chance to snatch a gold or silver medal as the very final competitor, but like all the finalists struggled to solve the problem. “Let's say I wasn't born to do it,” said Ondra. “I was pretty happy how relatively close I got but nevertheless, I was still quite far away.” The Olympian took a hiatus following Tokyo 2020 and returned with a gold at the IFSC World Cup in Chamonix last month, he now has a European bronze to add to his comeback: “It feels great [to win bronze]. I didn't have any particular goals for Boulder, I was really happy with proceeding to the final. In the final I could enjoy my time and know that it's a bronze medal,” said Ondra. Despite being the only climber to reach the zone for the fourth problem, France’s Mejdi Schalck finished outside the podium in fourth position. A flash on the third Boulder also couldn’t help Filip Schenk of Italy make an impact in the final and he finished fifth overall. Former European champion Jernej Kruder of Slovenia was the only climber not to top which meant a sixth-place finish.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan’s top female mountaineer Naila Kiani has successfully summited the world’s 11th highest mountain, Gasherbrum 1 (G1) and she became the first local woman to summit three 8000+ metes peaks including Gasherbrum 1, GB-2 and K2, in her first attempt. Also, Naila was the part of an expedition consisting of people who started their ascent towards G1’s peak. Symbolizing empowered, strong, and resilient female athletes, Naila is a banker by profession and a mountaineering enthusiast. G1 was her second challenge of the year having previously summited K2 on 22ndJuly. Through her successful expeditions, the female mountaineer has inspired women across the countrywhile promoting gender equality in the sports community. “This was one of the most difficult tasks I have undertaken in my life and it has only been my passion for adventure sports and mountaineering that drove me to achieve this,” exclaimed Naila after her successful summit”. I am humbled by the constant faith my nation and especially the mountain climbing community has shown in my efforts. The BARD Foundation has served as my guiding light through this time. Their unconditional support of my endeavors is a testament to their noble vision of enabling Pakistani sports enthusiasts.” Congratulating Naila on making the record books yet again, Razak Dawood, Chairman BARD Foundation, stated, “Naila embodies the spirit of Pakistan’s greats, the work ethic, the desire to give of herself and of her heart, and the love of victory. With each successful climb, she etches her name in history, inspires countless other young girls, and makes our country great. Naila’s monumental feat to summit the Gasherbrum I right after K2 summit inspires the Foundation to continue supporting young talent, with opportunities to excel in athletics and sports. Naila’s success is proof of the tenacity women possess to achieve anything they set their minds to.” A Dubai-based banker by profession, and a mother of two, Naila is also a trained boxer, a mountaineer, and an adventure enthusiast. In 2021, she set a record by becoming the first Pakistani woman to climb Gasherbrum-II (8,035 meters), the world’s thirteenth highest mountain. Naila also was one of the only two Pakistani female mountaineers to stand atop the world’s second highest peak, the mighty K2, and the first Pakistani woman to achieve this feat in the first attempt. She was presented with an award in December 2021 by the President of Pakistan in acknowledgement of her achievements and contributions to mountaineering. BARD Foundation is a human-development initiative, founded by the renowned industrialist & technocrat Abdul Razak Dawood and his philanthropist wife Mrs. Bilquis Dawood. The foundation carries a deep vision to promote and facilitate local athletes and sportspersons in order to highlight their talent and true potential across the world. BARD resonates with Naila’s dream to influence the women of Pakistanto run after their dreams, to realise their potential and achieve their goals.

Sports Bulletin Report Munich (Germany):-Top climbers of the world will compete in the European Climbing Championships, which will be held from 11 to 18 August 11 to 18, 2022 in the Munich, the capital city of Germany. The Munich 2022 sports programme will feature more than 4,400 athletes, 158 medal events, 50 participating nations, 16 disciplines, 12 European championships, 11 days of competition, and nine Olympic sports, all as part of one multi-sport event. In only the second edition of the European Championships, 200 climbers from 26 nations will compete for eight sets of medals with the three Sport Climbing disciplines of Boulder, Lead, and Speed featuring alongside the new Olympic format, Boulder and Lead combined. Set to be used at Paris 2024, the European Championships presents the opportunity for athletes to experience the new combined Boulder and Lead format in a competitive environment as climbers from the Boulder and Lead competitions gain points in the hope of making the combined top eight overall, and with it the chance for another medal. Going for glory and the title of European Champions will be a host of stars of the sport as Olympic champions, world champions, World Cup winners and record holders all fight it out at the multi-sport event. Janja Garnbret is not only the current Olympic champion but has also been unstoppable in the 2022 Lead season. The Slovenian has a perfect four from four record on the World Cup circuit taking wins in Innsbruck, Villars, Chamonix, and Briançon. Although the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist missed most of the Boulder season to focus on Lead, she has to be a hot favourite for a medal across Boulder, Lead, and the combined events. Jessica Pilz of Austria is fresh off a Lead gold at the World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, last month and will come into the European Championships with medal winning confidence. There will be hopes of a home win from Germany’s Hannah Meul who took silver in Boulder at the World Cup in Innsbruck. It will be hard to look past Poland in the women’s Speed event who boast the current world champion Natalia Kalucka, the current world record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw and Aleksandra Kalucka who is coming off the back of a PB and silver medal at the World Cup in Chamonix. Hoping that a home crowd will lift her on to the Speed podium will be Germany’s Franziska Ritter who claimed a bronze medal at the World Games in Birmingham. The men’s Speed competitions has been dominated by the Asian nations of late, so the chance for the European athletes to take the limelight will surely bring some intense competition. Erik Noya Cardona of Spain has broken the Asian stronghold on Speed medals recently at the World Cup in Chamonix by taking a silver medal. Yaroslav Tkach of Ukraine has also claimed a podium finish with a bronze at The World Games. Compatriot Danyil Boldyrev will hope to recapture the form that saw him take a world record in 2014, a record that stood for three years. At the last Lead World Cup in Briançon there were two German’s pushing for medals. Alexander Megos made the final step of the podium taking a bronze just ahead of teammate Yannick Flohé. With a home crowd roaring them on they will be hoping for a strong performance and some more silverware. Competition will be tough though with Adam Ondra of the Czech Republic returning to action with a bang, and a gold medal, following a post Olympics hiatus. Ondra took Lead World Cup Chamonix gold at the start of July. With a new Olympic format on show it’s hard not to talk about the current Olympic champion, Alberto Ginés López. The Spanish climber will be looking to defend his title at Paris 2024 so putting down an early marker in the new format would be a great way to show his rivals he means business. Competition starts on Thursday, 11 August at 12:00 PM (UTC +2:00) with the women’s Lead qualification and culminates with the Boulder & Lead finals on Thursday, 18 August.  SCHEDULE (UTC+2:00) Thursday, 11 August: 12:00 PM - Women’s Lead qualification 1:00 PM - Men’s Boulder qualification Friday, 12 August: 12:00 AM - Men’s Lead qualification 1:00 PM - Women’s Boulder qualification Saturday, 13 August: 9:00 AM - Women’s Lead semi-final 12:00 PM - Men’s Boulder semi-final 4:00 PM - Women’s Lead final 5:30 PM - Men’s Boulder final Sunday, 14 August: 9:00 AM - Women’s Boulder semi-final 12:00 PM - Men’s Lead semi-final 4:00 PM - Women’s Boulder final 6:45 PM - Men’s Lead final Monday, 15 August: 2:00 PM - Women’s Speed qualification 2:30 PM - Men’s Speed qualification 3:30 PM - Women's Speed final 3:45 PM - Men's Speed final Wednesday, 17 August: 3:00 PM - Women's Boulder & Lead final, Boulder round 5:00 PM - Women's Boulder & Lead final, Lead round Thursday, 18 August: 3:00 PM - Men's Boulder & Lead final, Boulder round 5:00 PM - Men's Boulder & Lead final, Lead round

Sports Bulletin Report Torino (Italy):-The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) and the Korea Alpine Federation (KAF) announced that the 32nd edition of the IFSC Climbing Youth World Championships would be held in South Korea from 19 to 27 August 2023. Hundreds of young climbers from all over the world will compete across three age groups “Juniors, Youth A and Youth B” and in the three Climbing disciplines of Boulder, Lead, and Speed. The 2023 edition will be the first time the East Asian country has hosted the prestigious youth event since its inception in 1992. South Korea has a history of hosting Climbing events with multiple IFSC World Cups and Asian Championships held in Mokpo, Chuncheon, and most recently Seoul. Seen as a rite of passage for climbers, previous participants and winners of the Youth World Championships include Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallists Janja Garnbret of Slovenia and Alberto Ginés López of Spain. South Korea also boasts the current Lead world champion Seo Chaehyun. IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “The first climbing Youth World Championship was held in 1992, in Basel, Switzerland. Since then, the YWCH has become the reference event for our young athletes. All future champions have competed at it, while for many others it has been one of the best climbing memories of their lives. “Next year, South Korea will host this event for the first time. A warm thank to our friends of the Korea Alpine Federation for their commitment and support: now, young climbers of the world have a place where their dreams can come true in 2023” KAF President Son Joong-Ho said: “With COVID-19 outbreak making it difficult to compete in various international competitions, Seoul, the capital of Korea, will proudly host an IFSC World Cup, the Asian Championships, and the Youth World Championships and it will be a good opportunity for club members and domestic fans to see Sport Climbing in person, which is gaining sensational popularity in the MZ generation. “Thanks to these events, Seoul will keep establishing itself as an international sports city, both in Asia and overseas, with plenty of locations, such as the Bukhansan National Park, which offers a lot of opportunities to climb outdoor, and try other sports.”

Sports Bulletin Report Torino (Itlay):-The Sport Climbing schedule for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 has been confirmed, two years before the Games begin, and will feature six days of competition. With Paris 2024 set for 26 July to 11 August 2024, Sport Climbing will see an increase in competition days for its second outing at the global showpiece event, up from four during its bow at Tokyo 2020. Taking place during the final week of the Olympic Games, the competition will begin with Women’s Speed qualification and the Men’s Boulder semifinal on 5 August and culminate with the Women’s Boulder & Lead final on the 10 August. Schedule: Monday, 5 August: Men's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Boulder round Women's Speed qualification Tuesday, 6 August: Women's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Boulder round Men's Speed qualification Wednesday, 7 August: Men's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Lead round Women's Speed final  Thursday, 8 August: Women's Boulder & Lead semi-final, Lead round Men's Speed final Friday, 9 August: Men's Boulder & Lead final  Saturday, 10 August: Women's Boulder & Lead final IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “It was not easy to find the best combination to benefit the athletes and satisfy the watching public, on site and at home. We learned from Tokyo 2020, and we took into account many different aspects to make a really solid schedule, to showcase our great sport to a global audience.” Sport Climbing events will take place at Le Bourget Climbing venue, one of only two sports facility to be built specifically for Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-LIna Moey, the wife of mountaineer John Snouri, who lost his life along with his other companions from Pakistan, Ali Sadpara and R. Jawan Pablo, during the attempt to reach the summit of K-2 peak last winter, thanked Pakistan Government and Pakistani Army for conducting the rescue operation, she was addressing to media in a press conference along with John Snorri's sisters Karen Christine and daughter Hilla Karen at the National Press Club Islamabad on Friday. She further said, “The incident took place in February 2021 and it was very difficult for us as a family and for the families of Ali Sadpara and Juan Pablo to explain. The friendship between Ali Sadpara and John was so sincere and strong that is why we have decided to visit Pakistan as a family to personally thank those who supported us professionally and personally. We traveled here in the hope that John would be able to take the route to the top of K2 to a rest stop near his friend and climbing partner Ali and his climbing partner Juan Pablo”, she added. “The safety of the participating in such proceedings has always been of utmost importance to us. However, today we got news that a team of four climbers led by Mangamaji had failed in their attempt after spending two hours on the summit of K2. Based on the information we have, some new snow on the mountain has created an avalanche hazard. We as a family would like to emphasize that life should only be moved in a manner that is safe for the person involved and other climbers on the mountain, “she replied a question. “Their lives and achievements as climbers are unique and unique. Such are that both nations, Pakistan and Iceland will remember them through the mountaineering and pioneering history of both countries. We as a family are grateful for the outpouring of support and warmth from so many people. We would like to thank the Government of Pakistan, Chief of Pakistan Army and Commander of 10 Corps, Foreign Office of Pakistan, Local Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Province, Khalid Khurshid Chief Minister, Raja Nasir Minister of Tourism, Asghar, “she concluded.  

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMBAD:-Twelve sides of six Cricket Associations will be again in action when they lock horns in the National U19 Championship (three-day event) in Karachi from 25 July to 23 August. The 12 sides have earlier featured in the National U19 Cup (one-day tournament) that was won by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites beating Central Punjab Blues by five wickets in the final on 8 July. Six Blues squads have been placed in Pool A, while six Whites squads are in Pool B. The matches are scheduled to take place at UBL Sports Complex, Rashid Latif Academy, NBP Sports Complex, TMC Ground, KCA Stadium and Hanif Mohammad HPC Ground. The final of the tournament will be played between the top team from each group from 20 to 23 August at the UBL Sports Complex. The PCB also confirms the 12 squads for the tournament. Performances of players in the recently concluded Cricket Associations Divisional U19 Tournament were also taken into consideration. The performers from last year’s National U19 tournaments who are still eligible to feature in the age-group event were also considered for the forthcoming tournament. Squads: Balochistan U19 Blues: Ikramullah Tareen (Captain) (Quetta), Sajjad Ali (Loralai), Adnan Iqbal (Khuzdar), Arbaz Khan (Lasbela), Basit Ali (Naseerabad), Ejaz Ahmed (Killa Abdullah), Ghazi Khan (Loralai), Israrullah (Naseerabad), Mohammad Qasim (Quetta), Mohammad Uzair (Naseerabad), Mohammad Yousaf (Loralai), Shahid Ali (Sibi), Sham Raiz Khan (Pishin), Yasir Khan (Quetta) and Zohaib Khan Shanzaib (Loralai) Reserve players: Abu Bakar (Lasbela), Arslan Khan (Lasbela), Gohar Khan (Lasbela), Obaidullah (Quetta) and Sayed Yasir Shah (Pishin) Coaching staff: Raj Hans (head coach), Aslam Sheikh (assistant coach) Balochistan U19 Whites: Mohammad Siddique (Captain) (Chaman), Abdul Haseeb (Gwadar), Abdul Saboor (Pishin), Akhtar Altaf (Turbat), Dunya Khan (Loralai), Ehsanullah (Loralai), Hikmatullah (Loralai), Huzaifa Gul (Quetta), Jahangir Khan (Loralai), Mohsin Ali (Lasbela), Mohammad Aqdas (Quetta), Qurban Ali (Pishin), Siraj Mehboob (Panjgur), Syed Hanzala (Chaman) and Tanveer Khan (Loralai) Reserve players: Imran Zahid (Turbat), Inamullah (Quetta), Majid Ali (Sibi), Perviz Ahmad (Sibi) and Usman Ghani (Quetta) Coaching staff: Habib Baloch (head coach), Mazher Dinari (assistant coach) Central Punjab U19 Blues: Obaid Shahid (Captain) (Lahore), Afzal Manzoor (Nankanasahib), Ali Raza (Sheikhupura), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Arham Nawab (Faisalabad), Ayub Khan (Mandibahauddin), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Farhan Yousuf (Lahore), Hammad Liaqat (Lahore), Mohammad Maaz (Faisalabad), Mohammad Maooz (Lahore), Mohammad Zeeshan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Waqas (Faisalabad), Tayyab Arif (Sialkot), and Zoraiz Wafa Gill (Mandibahauddin) Reserves: Ameer Hassan (Sialkot), Moosa Azeem (Sialkot), Saria Khan (Mianwali), Shaban Saeed (Jaranwala) and Zain- ul-Abideen (Gujranwala) Coaching staff: Mohammad Ashraf (head coach), Aamir Sajjad (assistant coach) Central Punjab U19 Whites: Hafiz Usman Nadeem (Captain) (Lahore), Abdul Rehman (Faisalabad), Ahmad Bilal (Faisalabad), Akash Hayat (Faisalabad), Ali Razzaq (Lahore), Ali Zoraiz Asif (Lahore), Faraz Ahmad (Sheikhupura), Hassan Ali (Faisalabad), Kaif Ali (Gujranwala), Mohammad Ibtisam Rehman (Sargodha), Moiz Rana (Lahore), Samama Riaz (Faisalabad), Syed Hassan Gillani (Sialkot), Usman Shahid (Lahore) and Waqas Abbas (Faisalabad) Reserve players: Abu Marsad (Lahore), Ali Dilshad (Lahore), Muneeb Wasif (Lahore), Usama Zahid (Lahore) and Zeeshan Sikandar (Mandibahuddin) Coaching staff: Mansoor Amjad (head coach), Ashraf Ali (assistant coach) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues: Muhammed Zulkifl (Captain) (Charsada), Abu Bakkar (Lower Dir), Afaq Khan (Mardan), Haseeb Khan (Peshawar), Hilal Ahmed (Swat), Ihtisham-ul-Haq (Lower Dir), Jamshed Ali (Peshawar), Khubaib Khalil (Kohat), Maaz Habib Khan (Mardan), Muhammed Farooq (Mohmand), Muhammed Shoaib (Peshawar), Muhammed Shoaib (D.I Khan), Muhammed Zubair (Peshawar), Muhammed Zubair (Khyber), and Wazdan Khan (Kohat) Reserve players: Ansarullah (Peshawar), Haris Khan (Peshawar), Ismail Khan (D.I Khan), Riazullah (Khyber) and Ubaidullah (Khyber) Coaching staff: Riffatullah Mohmand (head coach), Mohammad Siddique (assistant coach) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites: Abbas Ali (Captain) (Peshawar), Afkar Durrani (Dir Lower), Ahmad Hussain (Peshawar), Aimal Khan (Mohmand), Ayaz Khan (Mardan), Jawad Ali (Charsada), Mohammad Irfan (Peshawar), Mohammad Salman (Khyber), Mohammad Tahir (Peshawar), Shahzaib Khan (Mansehra), Sherdil Khan (Swat), Shuja Zaheer (Abbottabad), Tahir Ali (Swabi), Yasir Ahmed (Swabi) and Zubair Shinwari (Khyber) Reserve players: Arafat Khan (Peshawar), Adnan Ahmed (Bajour), Muhammed Riazullah (Lower Dir), Uzairullah (Peshawar) and Salar Ahmed (Haripur) Coaching Staff: Aftab Khan (head coach), Sajid Shah (assistant coach) Northern U19 Blues: Shamyl Hussain (Captain) (Islamabad), Abdullah Amin (Jhelum), Abidullah (Islamabad), Affan Ishaq (Rawalpindi), Ali Abbas (Muzaffarabad), Amir Hasan (Rawalpindi), Aseer Mughal (Rawalpindi), Faraz Khan (Attock), Mohammad Aftab (Islamabad), Mohammad Asim Shahzad (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Awais (Attock), Saad Masood (Rawalpindi), Saqibullah (Islamabad), Shahmeer Nisar Khan (Islamabad) and Umar Habib (Attock) Reserve players: Abu Hurraira (Attock), Ismail Khan (Chakwal), Jouhar Ali (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Ibrahim (Jhelum) and Saad Bin Tariq (Bagh-Hattian) Coaching staff: Kamran Khan (head coach), Raheel Majeed (assistant coach) Northern U19 Whites: Shahmeer Ali (Captain) (Rawalpindi), Abdul Basit (Rawalpindi), Abuzar (Rawalpindi), Arsalan Ali (Islamabad), Dawood Nazar (Attock), Husnain Nadeem (Mirpur), Mohammad Ali Taj (Islamabad), Mohammad Ammar Khan (Muzaffarabad), Mohammad Arshad (Bagh), Mohammad Nabeel (Rawalpindi), Raja Hamza Waheed (Islamabad), Salman Khan (Islamabad), Shahbaz Khan Hurraira (Jhelum), Sudais Ulfat (Islamabad) and Usman Khan (Rawalpindi) Reserves: Aman Aftab (Bagh), Awais Amin (Islamabad), Azan Kabir (Kotli), Mohammad Qaiser (Islamabad) and Syed Ali Mehdi (Rawalpindi) Coaching staff: Samiullah Khan Niazi (head coach), Hafiz Majid (assistant coach) Sindh U19 Blues: Wahaj Riaz (Captain) (Karachi), Afnan Khan (Karachi), Aftab (Karachi), Ali Hasan (Karachi), Arbaz Khan (Karachi), Habibullah (Karachi), Hameed Karim (Karachi), Haroon Arshad (Karachi), Khuwaja Mohammad Hafeez (Karachi), Maaz Khurram (Karachi), Mirza Saad Baig (Karachi), Mohammad Hanif (Karachi), Naveed Ahmed (Karachi), Rehan Shah (Karachi) and Shahbaz Aziz (Jacobabad) Reserve players: Abdullah Alam (Karachi), Daud Abbas (Shaheed Benazirabad), Faroz Ali (Larkana), Haseeb-ur-Rahman (Hyderabad) and Ubaid Raza (Khairpur) Coaching staff: Mohammad Masroor (head coach), Tahir Mehmood (assistant coach) Sindh U19 Whites: Mohammad Hassan Iqbal (Captain) (Khi Zone-III), Abdul Moeez (Khi Zone-VII), Ali Ishaq (Khi Zone-VI), Daniyal Ahmed (Khi Zone-V), Ghulam Ashraf (Khi Zone-VI), Hamza Qureshi (Khi Zone-VI), Mansoor Ali Khoso (Khairpur), Mohammad Fahad Amin (Khi Zone-III), Mohammad Saad Asif (Khi Zone-VII), Noman Ali (Hyderabad), Rumail Ahmed (Khi Zone-III), Saqlain Nawaz Rajput (Khairpur), Shahwaiz Yasir (Khi Zone-II), Syed Tayyab Hussain (Khi Zone-II) and Syed Yahya Shah (Hyderabad) Reserves: Abdul Rehman Niazi (Khi Zone-II), Awais Raheem Shah (Khi Zone-VI), Mohammad Umar Khan Sherani (Mirpurkhas), Mohammad Hannan (Sukkur) and Ziaullah (Khi Zone-II) Coaching staff: Ghulam Ali (head coach), Zafar Iqbal (assistant coach) Southern Punjab U19 Blues: Mohammad Danish (Captain) (Muzaffargarh), Adnan Shahid (D.G Khan), Arbab Shabir (Khanewal), Bilal Ahmad (Sahiwal), Hamza Nadir (Sahiwal), Haseeb Javaid (Multan), Huzaifa Ayub (Khanewal), Kashif Farid (Rajanpur), Mohammad Abdullah (Rajanpur), Mohammad Luqman (Lodhran), Mohammad Shan (Sahiwal), Mohammad Zahid (Multan), Moheer Saeed (Vehari), Sharjeel Hassan (Lodhran) and Zubair Jabbar (Khanewal) Reserves: Adnan Ali (Pakpattan), Ali Haider (Vehari), Ali Shabir (Rahim Yar Khan), Amin Talib (Vehari) and Haseeb Gull (Bahawalpur) Coaching staff: Iqbal Imam (head coach), Saleem Elahi (assistant coach) Southern Punjab U19 Whites: Uzair Mumtaz (Captain) (Multan), Abu Bakar (Muzaffargarh), Aqib Asghar (Vehari), Arafat Minhas (Multan), Hamza Nawaz (Bahawalnagar), Harib Moeen (Bahawalnagar), Haseeb Nazim (Multan), Hasnain Majid (Rahim Yar Khan), Mohammad Ammar (Rahim Yar Khan), Mohammad Ismail (Sahiwal), Mozam Alvi (Bahawalpur), Shehraz Khan (Lodhran), Taha Masood (Rahim Yar Khan), Taha Shabir (Sahiwal) and Talha Mushtaq (Rahim Yar Khan) Reserves: Alam Zaib Khan (Multan), Farhan Iqbal (Rahim Yar Khan), Mohammad Jansher (Sahiwal), Maseem Raza (Multan) and Usman Iqbal (Okara) Coaching staff: Shahid Anwar (head coach), Aizaz Cheema (assistant coach)  

Sports Bulletin Report Briancon (France):-The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Lead World Cup Briançon 2022 came to a conclusion this evening, in the heart of the French Alps. In the twelfth consecutive year that an IFSC World Cup has been held in the city, Olympian Janja Garnbret, of Slovenia, and Jesse Grupper, of the USA, each climbed their way to victory and a gold medal. Battling his way to the highest hold to be grasped during the men’s final, Grupper placed himself firmly atop the podium with a score of 37 and as such, bagged the first World Cup gold medal of his career. In doing so, the American achieved a full medal set of gold, silver, and bronze during the 2022 Lead season so far, having won silver in Villars, Switzerland, and bronze in Innsbruck, Austria. “I’m still pretty much in shock and super psyched! I feel like that was probably one of the worst climbed routes of my life in some ways, but also I was just so psyched to keep fighting through each move and it felt so good to pull it off,” said Grupper with a grin from ear to ear. “It was very intense and I was very nervous about this move, but I was just like ‘you just have to get this next hold and it will get better, you just have to go one more move’. I think just having that mentality paid off in the end,” he added. Japan’s Homma Taisei took second place with 35+, earning his second consecutive World Cup silver medal – after also achieving a podium position in Chamonix, France, earlier this month.  The Japanese athlete now has four IFSC World Cup medals to his name, having secured another silver back in 2019, and a gold medal at the IFSC Lead World Cup Villars 2022. German Olympian Alexander Megos claimed the final medal in the men’s event, taking bronze with the same score as Homma. Megos ranked lower than Homma due to his score in yesterday’s semi-final. A bronze medal win saw the Olympian climb onto a World Cup podium for the first time this season – his last medal being at the IFSC Lead World Cup Villars 2021. Finishing in fourth position was Megos’ teammate Yannick Flohe, who matched both Homma and Megos’ score but again, ranked lower due to his semi-final result. American Olympian Colin Duffy concluded in fifth with 34+, followed by Japan’s Ogata Yoshiyuki in sixth with the same score. In his first Lead final, Italy’s Filip Schenk finished in seventh with 27. Great Britain’s Hamish McArthur took eighth place with 25, and Slovenia’s Luka Potocar completed the competition in ninth, with 18+. Brushing the top hold with her fingertips, Olympic gold medallist Janja Garnbret threw herself into first place in the women’s final. With a score of 42+, the Olympian earned the 53rd World Cup medal of her career to date – her 36th gold. Winning four out of a possible four Lead World Cups so far this season, Garnbret claimed her 22nd gold medal in Lead, placing the Slovenian third in the all-time Lead World Cup ranking behind South Korea’s Jain Kim, with 29 wins, and Austria’s Angela Eiter with 25. “I was really excited, at observation the route looked super cool and I really enjoyed climbing. Some sequences seemed tricky at observation, but then it was all okay – climbable and super nice,” said Garnbret after taking the gold medal. Olympian Seo Chaehyun, of South Korea, took the silver medal with a score of 41+, climbing atop a World Cup podium for a tenth time since making her senior debut in 2019. The reigning Lead World Champion has claimed three medals so far this season, taking silver in Innsbruck and bronze in Chamonix. In third position was the USA’s Natalia Grossman, who concluded the competition with 41 and claimed her second Lead medal of the year – having won six medals during the 2022 Boulder season.