Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): 16 teams are set to compete for the silverware across 41 matches from 13 January to 4 February, comprising the 11 best-placed Full Member teams at the last edition and five teams who earned their World Cup spot through regional qualification pathways - Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland and USA.Five historic venues located in Colombo will stage the 15th edition of the celebrated event; the P. Sara Oval, Colombo Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Singhalese Sports Club and the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, the arena chosen to host both Semi Finals on 30 January and 1 February, and the Final on 4 February.The action starts on 13 January with three fixtures taking place on opening day. Hosts Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, while 2022 finalists England play Scotland at Colombo Cricket Club and New Zealand face off against Nepal at the P. Sara Oval.In the group listings, holders India are joined by Bangladesh, Ireland and USA in Group A. Group B consists of England, South Africa, West Indies and Scotland. Group C features Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Namibia while Group D is made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal.ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has a long-standing history of introducing global audiences to future stars of the sport.“Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Angelo Mathews are some of the names that made their entrance onto the world stage at this event, and we are certain to see this tradition continue as the drama unfolds across the 41 tournament fixtures.“We are thrilled to see the competition return to Sri Lanka for the first time since 2006, in what promises to be a festival of cricket with no shortage of entertainment, and we are proud to offer fans the chance to witness the action for free once more.”Tournament Director, Samantha Dodanwela said: “Sri Lanka Cricket is delighted to be welcoming this prestigious event back to Sri Lanka after 18 years. “Sri Lanka is renowned for its passionate, cricket-loving fans, and we are looking forward to giving them the opportunity to watch some of the most promising young cricketers in the world over 23 days of competition.The landmark event has been the springboard for some of the most recognisable stars of the global game. Through the history of the event, India are the most decorated with five U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup titles, Australia have won the event three times, Pakistan twice, while England, Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies have each been crowned once.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE (September 22, 2023): The Selection Committee of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headed by former captain of the national team Inzamam-ul-Haq named their 15-player squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will be held in October and November in India.Fast bowler Naseem Shah has been replaced with Hasan Ali. He had suffered a shoulder injury during Asia Cup in a match against India on 11 September and was ruled out of the tournament. Following thorough medical examinations and consultations with leading medical experts, Naseem has been advised to undergo surgery. He is expected to recover in three to four months.Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usama Mir.The selectors have also named three traveling reserves in wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris, mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and fast bowler Zaman Khan.Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said: “World Cup is the most important event in any cricketer’s life and I want to congratulate all the cricketers who have made it to the squad through their impressive performances. This team has performed wonderfully well over the last couple of years and that is why we have shown faith in the same bunch.“We were forced to make one change because of an unfortunate injury to Naseem Shah. We had a few injury scares in the recent Asia Cup, but I am glad to share that all the players are fully fit and are eager to perform for their country in the all-important tournament. I have received encouraging reports from our medical panel about Haris Rauf. He has started to (shadow) bowl at the National Cricket Academy and will be available for selection.“I have a firm belief that this squad can bring the World Cup trophy to Pakistan and make the whole nation proud with their incredible performances. It is time to get behind our team and provide them with the backing and support that they need.”Pakistan will play two warm-ups – against New Zealand on 29 September and Australia on 3 October – before their tournament opener against the Netherlands on 6 October. Babar Azam’s side enters the mega-event as the number one ranked side and enjoys the best win/loss ratio of 2.400 in this World Cup cycle for any side that has played the One-Day International format.Pakistan missed out on a semi-final spot in the 2019 iteration of the event because of a lower net run-rate to New Zealand, who ended up as runners-up. The team’s best performance came in the 1992 edition when they lifted the trophy at the MCG after defeating England. Pakistan featured in the final of the 1999 edition and reached semi-finals in 1979, 1983, 1987, and 2011.

BIPIN DANIIn the recent Asia Cup match between India and Bangladesh in Sri Lanka, former India captain Virat Kohli acted as a "water boy" and his act left his fans amused. Virat was rested in the match, however, his presence on the field, though for a short period of time, carrying a can of bottles for the side, left his fans in splits. His presence as a waterboy on the sidelines was a testament to his commitment to the team's success and his willingness to support his fellow players.As the internet got glimpses of Kohli running on the field in a comical way with water bottles for his teammates, memes started pouring in. X (formerly Twitter) buzzed with posts terming Kohli as the ‘richest waterboy’ ever. Broadcasters were still focussing on Kohli, though Shardul Thakur had grabbed the wicket. This, however, was not the first instance when Kohli discharged this duty. Due to his shoulder injury, Kohli had to miss the 4th Test against Australia. But, the Test did witness a contribution from Kohli, that time, as a waterboy. Kohli was seen bringing drinks for his teammates on the field during the game.Playing for a charity game in 2005, Sachin Tendulkar did water-man duty for Asia XI team against the ICC World XI. Dhoni's humility had earned him respect from fans and pundits alike when there was no surprise to see him not once, but thrice. In 2012, he was seen carrying energy drinks for the Indian batsmen during the Tri-Series featuring Australia and Sri Lanka.The world's greatest batsman, the late Don Bradman was seen carrying drinks for his Australian mates who were toiling hard on the field during the 2nd Test match against England in 1928. And how cool was it that the then Prime Minister Scott Morrison came out with the drinks at the Prime Minister's XI game in Canberra four years ago?India's former umpire, Vinayak Kulkurni, however, was not surprised to see Kohli in this role."During my umpiring career, I too witnessed many senior players acting in this role as a 12th man", he says. "Now, the twelfth man concept is eliminated. The ICC has made it a rule to nominate five players as twelfth man and any one from this can go to the field to supply water or energy drinks to the team". "A term-Impact Player- is used for these five extra players". "Unlike in international matches where five players are combinedly known as an impact player, the BCCI has restricted these numbers to four players in domestic matches", the umpire added.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed Dallas, Florida and New York as the three USA venues identified to host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Grand Prairie in Dallas, Broward County in Florida and Nassau County in New York will be part of history as the event is staged in the USA for the first time.The ICC Board awarded the hosting of the event to the West Indies and the USA in November 2021. The venues were selected following extensive evaluation of several options.An agreement has been reached for the construction of a 34,000-seat modular stadium in Eisenhower Park, a purpose-built sports and events park in Nassau County, New York, on awarding of the required permit next month. The existing venues in Grand Prairie and Broward County will be increased in size by modular stadium solutions to expand seating, media and premium hospitality areas subject to final agreement.ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “We’re delighted to announce the three USA venues that will host part of the biggest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever staged, with 20 teams competing for the trophy. The USA is a strategically important market and these venues give us an excellent opportunity to make a statement in the world’s biggest sport market.“We explored a number of potential venue options in the country, and we were hugely encouraged by the enthusiasm the event generated amongst prospective hosts, reinforcing the growing awareness around cricket’s massive fanbase and its power to unite diverse communities.”We are very excited about the opportunity to use modular stadium technology to present world class cricket in a location that has not previously hosted an ICC global event giving USA cricket fans the chance to watch the world’s best on their doorstep. This technology has been used at previous ICC events to increase venue capacity and it’s routinely used in other major sports around the world. In the USA, it will give us the opportunity to increase the size of the venues in both Dallas and Florida and create what is going to be a stunning venue in New York.”Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said: “Nassau County is excited to partner with the ICC to host the Men’s T20 World Cup, one of the most popular sporting events in the world. With more than one billion fans worldwide, this event will attract fans from all around the world to Eisenhower Park.“Whether it be PGA events, record breaking concerts in our parks, or the annual Belmont Stakes, we are no stranger to hosting large scale events on the world stage. I look forward to bringing our many diverse communities together to watch some of the best cricket in the world, right here in Nassau County.”

Sports Bulletin ReportLausanne (Switzerland): Hockey event of the Asian Games 2023 will get underway on September 24, as the winners (men and women) will join France, Australia, and Netherlands in qualifying to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.12 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams will be competing in Hockey at the Asian Games 2023. The teams will be divided and placed into two pools of; 5 teams per pool in the women’s competition, and 6 teams per pool in the men’s competition. At the end of the pool stage the two highest ranking teams in each pool will proceed to the semi-finals, while the other teams, based on their pool standings, will play in the 5th-10th (women’s) and 5th-12th (men’s) classification matches. The teams that win the gold medals at the Asian Games 2023 will seal their berths at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The teams classifying from 2nd to 5th in the women’s tournament and the teams classifying from 2nd to 6th in the men’s tournament, will get a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympics, at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024. In the men’s competition India, Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore and Uzbekistan are placed in Pool A. Korea, Malaysia, China, Oman, Thailand and Indonesia will compete in Pool B. The men’s matches get underway on 24 September, with Malaysia taking on Thailand in the first contest at 09:00 (local time). The medal matches in men’s hockey will be played on 6 October. The complete schedule for the men’s competition including the highly anticipated matches between India and Pakistan, Malaysia and Korea, India and Japan, can be found here. Men’s hockey was first played at the 1958 Asian Games and has been played in every edition since. The 2023 Games will see men’s hockey be played for the 17th straight time at the Asian Games. India, Pakistan and Malaysia have appeared in all 16 editions so far and will compete in the 17th edition starting from 24 September. Pakistan are the most successful team in the history of Men’s Hockey at the Asian Games, having claimed the gold medal on 8 occasions. Korea are the second most successful team with 4 gold medals, while India are third with three gold medals to their name. Japan will come into the event as the defending champions, having claimed their first gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games. In the women’s competition India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore are placed in Pool A. Japan, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Thailand will compete in Pool B. The women’s matches get underway on 25 September, with Korea taking on Singapore in the first contest at 10:15 (local time). The medal matches in women’s hockey will be played on 7 October. The complete schedule for the women’s competition including the highly anticipated matches between India and Korea, China and Japan, can be found here.Women’s hockey was first introduced in the 1982 edition of the Asian Games and has been played in every edition of the event since. The 2023 Games will mark the 11th appearance of women’s hockey at the Asian Games. India, Japan and Korea have appeared in all 10 editions of the event so far and will compete in the 11th edition starting from 25 September.Korea are the most successful team in the history of women’s hockey at the Asian Games, with 5 gold medals. China are the second most successful team with 3 gold medals, while India and Japan have won one gold medal each. Japan come into the 2023 Asian Games as the defending champions, having won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. A total of 12 teams, in each of the men’s and women’s categories, will compete in Hockey at the Olympic Games. The hosts France gained direct qualification, leaving 11 spots up for grabs. Australia (men and women) from Oceania and Netherlands (men and women) from Europe have sealed their qualification as continental champions. Apart from the winners of the Asian Games, continental championships in the Americas and Africa will be held in the buildup to the Olympic Games where the winner of each of these two events will also gain direct qualification to the upcoming Olympic Games. The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024, which will be held in January 2024, provide a second opportunity for teams to qualify for the remaining 6 spots at the Olympic Games.

Sports Bulletin ReportNew York (USA): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has renewed its partnership with UN Women, underlining each organisation’s commitment to using sport to promote gender equality and to empower women and girls.The new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed by IOC President Thomas Bach and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous during a meeting in New York, USA, extends a partnership that began in 2012 and was extended for the first time in 2017. It will see the two organisations continuing to work together to maximise the value of sport in shaping social norms and reaching sustainable development outcomes that impact women’s and girls’ lives daily. During the ceremony, the IOC President was accompanied by Mrs Laura Chinchilla, IOC Member in Costa Rica, Mrs Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, IOC Member in Croatia, and HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, IOC Member in Saudi Arabia.“Sport has the potential to transform lives, and the extension of our partnership with UN Women will help us to ensure that all women and girls have the opportunity to benefit from this unique power of sport,” said President Bach. “ With this new MoU, we will enhance our ongoing initiatives to encourage sports participation among girls and advance towards gender equality.”UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous added: “Sport is an unrivalled asset to help us to end all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, and to ensure women’s full and equal participation in leadership and decision-making. There can be no higher goal, and no greater win for us all, and we are honoured to be renewing our partnership with the IOC to work towards this target together.”

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Tuesday named the men’s U19 squad which will travel to Nepal for the SAFF U19 Championship 2023.The green shirts will kick off their campaign against Nepal on September 21 at the iconic Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu and square off against Maldives on September 23 at the same venue. Pakistan SquadGoalkeepers: Sahil Gul, Mohsin Khan and Mohammad AbdullahDefenders: Mohammad Sadam, Mohammad Adeel, Asad Nasir, Ans Amin, Khurshid Alam, Mohammad Raheel, Shayan Ali, Kamil Ahmad Khan, Abid Ali, Hannan Naveed and Najeeb UllahMidfielders: Ali Zafar, Mohammad Azan and Awais KhanForwards: Shahjahan, Mohammad Hassan, Faisal Ahmad, Abdul Wahab, Mohammad Haroon Zafar and Mohammad Adeel YounasTeam Officials: Shadab Ifthikhar (Head Coach), Mohsan Ul Hussnain (Assistant Coach), Khurram Shahzad (Goal Keeper Coach), Aamna (Media), Mohammad Abdullah and Mohammad Samama (Physio) and Zohair Gondal (Team Manager).

BIPIN DANIIndian fast bowler Mohammed Siraj's decision to dedicate his Player of the Match award in the Asia Cup final has won the hearts of many."I want to give this cash prize (USD 5000) to the groundsmen. They deserve it. If they were not around, this tournament would not have been successful", the 29-year-old Siraj had announced at the presentation on Sunday. "We are more happy with his act of donating rather than his match performance", Mohammed Mahboob Ahmed, the secretary of the Charminar Cricket Club says. Siraj first started playing with the tennis ball but learned playing with the leather ball at this club. "Siraj has come from a very poor family back-ground. His father was an auto driver in Hyderabad. Siraj knows how poor people struggle to survive and therefore he has decided to give his prize money to the laborers in Sri Lanka". Siraj ran the Sri Lankan players ragged in the final. He produced a devastating spell of swing and seam bowling returning figures of 6 for 21 in seven overs as Sri Lanka were skittled out for 50. He became the first Indian bowler to take four wickets in an over in men's internationals. "We are very happy with his performance but more so because he cared for the poor groundsmen", Mehboob added. Siraj has stayed very humble. After having bagged a big IPL deal, Mohammed Siraj still remembers the hardships his parents had to endure in his childhood. When he was bought at the IPL auctions, Siraj had then vowed that the first thing he would do with the money would be to buy a new house for his family. And he has fulfilled his promise. "In his childhood, Siraj used to get a lot of bashing from his mother because he didn’t like studying. He was not good at studies. His brother, Ismail, on the other hand, excelled at academics in IT. However, today Siraj’s mother must be proud of whatever his son has achieved so far". "Sadly, Siraj's father (Mohammed Ghaus) is not alive to see his journey. He passed away in 2020 when Siraj was in Australia in 2020 and he could not attend the funeral because of the Covid restrictions. He, however, has become stronger now and is bound to get more and more success", Mehboob added.

Sports Bulletin ReportISAMABAD: PAK Army GHQ, Falcon Club, and Chaklala Garrison posted victories in the Rawalpindi –Islamabad Inter-Club District Squash League 2023. All participating clubs of Rawalpindi and Islamabad played matches in respective age categories, as the five players from each club participated in the matches.Results:PAK Army GHQ beat Shalimar Club (3-2)Falcon Club beat Islamabad Club (3-1)Chaklala Garrison beat MAKSA Club (3-2).

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Aisam ul Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan overcame 2-1 Indonesia duo of brothers David Susanto and Anthony Susanto in the Doubles discipline of the Davis Cup World Group-II Tennis Tie here at the grass court of the Aisam-ul-Haq Tennis Pavilion, Pakistan Sports Complex on Sunday. The final score-line of 3-6, 7-5, and 6-2.After winning the toss, skipper Aisam decided to choose a side instead of taking the advantage of serve because he wanted the sun on his back. Indonesian players started the game by hitting a powerful drive from down the line and finished the first game after conceding only 2 points. Asiam and Aqeel did not allow their opponents to get a single point in the second game. Score was levelled at 1-1, and 2-2. Visitors players succeeded to break serve in the 6th game of the first set, as the game was even, after getting the advantage, they claimed the game and made the set score 4-2. David Susanto, and Anthony Susanto maintained their serves in the 7th game and 9th game to earn 1-0 lead in the crucial tie.In the second set, Pakistan won the first game quite easily and there was a nail and bite contest in the second game, as local players missed a couple of occasions to break the game. The set went up neck-to-neck till 5-5, as no one could break the serve. Aqeel and Aisam fought brilliantly in the 12 game and toiled hard on the court to break the game. Finally, Pakistan squared the match 1-1 after breaking the 12th game despite wasting two set points.After bouncing back in the match, Aisam and Aqeel showed aggregation in the final set that they claimed 6-2 by hitting beautiful forehand and backhand drives with classic drop-shorts. They broke the serves in the 4th and 8th game to win the set at 6-2, as the final score-line was 3-6, 7-5, and 6-2. In another match, Mohammad Shoaib beat Gunawan Trismuwantara 7-6 (4), 6-4 in the reverse singles, to give Pakistan a clean sweep.Aisam ul Haq said: “I am happy with the victory, I and Aqeel work hard on the court to overcome rivals. After losing the first set, we changed our strategy and hit some good winners to achieve the goal of victory. We had an edge of grass surface but the hot weather and conditions levelled the field for the both teams. We were well experienced in the grass. However, we worked hard and collected a big win for our country Pakistan.”Aqeel Khan said: “It was wonderful and a great win for us. We produced a notable performance after going down 0-1. We missed some vital points in the first set and we lost and we came from behind to post a remarkable victory. I have played together for a long time for Pakistan and played over 100 Davis Cup Tennis Tie matches for our country and different venues.”Coach Mushaf Zia said: “Our boys did well and claimed a big win in the Davis Cup. There was not a big difference in the both sides, as Pakistani duo of tennis stars Aisam and Aqeel have been playing together for a long time. They used their experience to defeat the visiting team.”