Sports Bulletin ReportABBOTTABAD: Balochistan and Punjab claimed triumphs in the ongoing PBCC Blind Cricket T-20 Super League 2024, after beating their respective opponents at APS School Cricket Ground Abbottabad on Monday.Balochistan beat KPK by 1 wicket: In an exhilarating T20 match, the Balochistan Blind cricket team triumphed over KP in a nail-biting finish, chasing down a formidable target of 213 runs with just one ball to spare.The match commenced with KPK Blind setting a challenging target, scoring 212 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The standout performances came from Badar Munir (B2) and Mohammad Rashid (B3). Badar dazzled with a rapid 58 off 30 balls, including nine boundaries and one six. Rashid anchored the innings with a well-crafted 95 not out off 60 balls, hitting 14 fours. Bashir Khan (B1) and Mohsin Khan (B3) from the Balochistan side put up impressive bowling performances, taking two wickets each.In response, Balochistan managed to chase the target in a sensational way, scoring 216 for the loss of 9 wickets in 19.5 overs. Niamatullah (B3) led the charge with a solid 61 off 46 balls, supported by timely contributions from Imran Sarwar (B3), who remained not out on 33 off 18 balls, and Naseeb Ullah (B2), who scored a quickfire 21 off 12 balls. The chase saw dramatic turns with crucial wickets falling at regular intervals. Talha Iqbal (B3) from KPK delivered with the ball, taking two crucial wickets, including that of the key player Niamatullah. Niamatullah got the Man of the Match award.Punjab beat Sindh by 37 runs: In a high-octane first innings, the Punjab Blind cricket team delivered an impressive batting performance, scoring a commanding 252 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 20 overs against Sindh.The Punjab Blind team exhibited an outstanding batting effort, with key contributions from Moeen Aslam (B2), Akmal Hayat Nasir (B3), and Mati Ullah (B3). Moeen Aslam was in exceptional form, scoring a blistering 51 off just 22 balls, hitting ten boundaries with a remarkable strike rate of 231.82. Akmal Hayat Nasir followed suit with a robust 68 off 44 balls, including ten fours and one six. Mati Ullah added crucial runs with a rapid 32 off 16 balls, while Israr Ul Hassan (B2) provided a solid finish, remaining not out with 24 runs off 13 balls. SanaUllah (B3) also contributed significantly towards the end, scoring an unbeaten 21 off just 8 balls, boasting a strike rate of 262.50. Idrees Saleem (B1) took 2 wickets, while Mohammad Salman and Safdar claimed a wicket a piece.In reply, Sindh managed to scored 215 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. Sindh chase was led by a valiant effort from Mohammad Safdar (B3), who scored a brilliant 58 off 36 balls, including nine boundaries and one six. Ayoub Khan (B2) provided solid support with 46 runs off 34 balls. Despite their efforts, the Punjab Blind bowlers managed to keep crucial breakthroughs at key moments. Nisar Ali (B2) played a remarkable innings, remaining unbeaten with 49 runs off just 26 balls, hitting six fours and one six. However, Sindh middle order struggled to build on the momentum, facing tight bowling from Punjab Blind. Matiullah, Kazimullah and Sajid Nawaz took 2 wickets each. Matiullah won the Man of the Match award.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) has announced to stage a Summer Camp for kids, which will run from June 24 to August 1, 2024, at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad.According to an official of PTF, summer camp aims for a healthy and engaging activity for children during their summer vacations, and provide an excellent opportunity to learn and enjoy tennis, make new friends, and enhance their physical fitness.President-PTF Aisam ul Haq Qureshi said: "The summer camp is a nice initiative of PTF for kids. It's a wonderful chance for them to enjoy tennis in the beautiful environment of PTF, and to learn the sport with our certified coaches."

Shoukat HussainABBOTTABAD: Sindh and Balochistan have won their matches on the day-3 of the PBCC Blind Cricket T-20 Super League 2024, after beating KPK, and Punjab respectively by 6, and 7 wickets at APS School Cricket Ground Abbottabad on Sunday.Sindh beat KPK by 6 wickets: KPK batted first and posted a challenging total of 249 for 9 runs in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was anchored by Mohammad Rashid, who played an explosive knock of 87 runs off 46 balls, including 13 fours and 1 six, with a strike rate of 189.13. Contributions from Ahtisham Ul Haq (33 off 23 balls) and Badar Munir (25 off 15 balls) further bolstered the KPK total. Despite a strong start, KP Blind's middle order faltered against a disciplined Sindh bowling attack, resulting in frequent wickets during the latter part of their innings. For Sindh, Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Noman claimed two wickets each while Mohammad Idrees took 1.In reply, Sindh Blind chased down the formidable target of 250, finishing at 251/4 in 19.2 overs to secure a remarkable 6-wicket victory. Sindh’s chase was spearheaded by a magnificent century from Ayoub Khan, who remained unbeaten on 103 off 62 balls, featuring 13 fours at a strike rate of 166.13. His masterclass innings, combined with strong support from Mohammad Safdar (41 off 26 balls) and Idrees Saleem (26 off 14 balls), guided Sindh to a successful run chase. Fakhar Abbas and Mohammad Sohail claimed a wicket a piece. Ayoub Khan got the Man of the Match award.Balochistan beat Punjab by 7 wickets: Punjab Blind batted first and posted an impressive total of 211/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Moeen Aslam led the charge with a quick-fire 40 off 21 balls, including six boundaries, at a strike rate of 190.48. He was well-supported by Akmal Hayat Nasir, who contributed a crucial 37 off 21 balls. Other notable contributions came from Anees Javed, who retired out after scoring 32 off 28 balls, and Mati Ullah, who added 28 off 21 balls.Balochistan bowlers, despite the initial onslaught, managed to put up a commendable effort. Mohammad Shahzeb was the standout performer, taking three key wickets for 33 runs in his 4 overs. Kamran Akhtar and Shahzaib Haider also chipped in with one wicket each, conceding 36 and 45 runs respectively in their 4-over spells.In reply, Balochistan started their innings with a determined approach, chasing down the target in just 16.2 overs with a score of 213/3. Kamran Akhtar was the star of the innings, playing a scintillating knock of 100 not out off 51 balls. His innings was laced with 15 fours and one six, maintaining a strike rate of 196.08. Kamran's explosive performance set the tone for Balochistan's successful chase.Naseeb Ullah provided excellent support with a powerful innings of 82 off 47 balls, hitting 13 fours. The opening partnership between Kamran and Naseeb was crucial, adding 196 runs for the first wicket, and laying a solid foundation for the chase.Punjab bowlers struggled to contain the aggressive batting of Balochistan Blind. Israr Ul Hassan was the most economical bowler, taking 1 wicket for 32 runs in his 4 overs. Mati Ullah managed to pick up 2 wickets but conceded 27 runs in his 2 overs. The rest of the Punjab bowlers were unable to make significant inroads, allowing Balochistan Blind to chase down the target comfortably. Man of the Match award went to Kamran Akhtar.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take on Chinese Taipei in their opening match of the 22nd Asian Men’s Squash Team Championship, which will be rolling into action on June 12, 2024, in Dalian, China.According to an official of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), 14 teams from all over Asia will participate in the Men’s event. Pakistan team has been placed in Pool “C” along with Korea, Chinese Taipei, and China.Pakistan’s four-member team Mohammad Asim Khan, Noor Zaman, Nasir Iqbal, and Farhan Mehboob, has left for China, on Sunday. Three officials, Fahim Gul (Coach), Waseem Umar (Physical Trainer), and Air Cdre (Retd) Amir Nawaz (Manager) are traveling with the national players.

Sports Bulletin ReportGniezno (Poland): France secured a ticket to the final of FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup Poland 2023-24 with a last-minute winner against South Africa in the semi-finals. They will play New Zealand for the top prize after the Black Sticks edged Pakistan.(Men’s) Austria 1-1 Canada (SO:1-3): Canada shocked Austria in the shootout to qualify for the fifth-place match after the game finished 1-1 in normal time. After conceding early goals in their previous games, the Canadians started slow, focusing on defence. However, it wasn’t that both teams didn’t create chances. Canada had their best 30 minutes since arriving in Gniezno but the score remained 0-0 after the first half.The Red Caribou opened the scoring in the end as Hudson Loh made a great run into the circle before a spectacular finish in the 38th minute for his first international goal. The Canadians were controlling the game better but with six minutes remaining, a penalty corner saw Florian Hackl equalise. The shootout saw Loh score the all-important goal along with Brendan Guraliuk and Roopkanwar Dhillon. Fabian Unterkircher scored the only goal for the Austrians. (Men’s) Korea beat Malaysia (4-3): Korean captain Jaehyeon Kim stole the show as they beat Malaysia 3-4 in a seven-goal thriller in Gniezno. The first quarter saw plenty of chances as two pacy sides went about their business but the scoreline remained 0-0. Fortunately, that was not a sign of things to come. The second quarter saw four goals starting with the Malaysians. Aiman Rozemi stole the ball from midfield and ran from the left before crossing towards Faizal Saari. The pass was blocked but the rebound fell kindly as the duo combined for Saari to tap in. Sung Yeob Kim made it 1-1 from a penalty corner before the Koreans took the lead through Inwoo Seo, who slid in at the far post to meet a Sunghyun Kim pass. The match became end-to-end as Saari got his and Malaysia’s second in the final minute of the first half. The goals were coming thick fast with Malaysia going ahead as Marhan Jalil squared one for Abu Kamal Azrai to tap in from a penalty corner in the 35th minute. Three minutes later, Dohyun Lim made it 3-3. Junking Rim put the Koreans in front, reacting smartly from a penalty corner in the 47th minute. However, the hero of the day was goalkeeper Jaehyeon Kim, who produced a brilliant penalty stroke save among other brilliant moments. (Men’s) France beat South Africa (2-1): France broke South African hearts at the very end to reach the final of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Poland. It took almost until the end of the first quarter to see France in full swing, creating some chances. The second quarter saw them step it up, winning a penalty corner in the 16th minute. However, it did not work in their favour and a quick and devastating counterattack involving Tevin Kok and Nqobile Ntuli ended with the latter scoring at the other end. The Olympic hosts continued to apply pressure but were not able to break a sturdy South African backline. The best chance for Les Bleus came when Timothée Clément took advantage of a rare defensive error from their opponents only to fire inches wide. After many attempts, a goal came out of nowhere when Gaspard Baumgarten deflected a pass that travelled with venom. The momentum from the goal meant that South Africa had to give it all as the French attacked. A flurry of penalty corners in the last minute of the game saw Victor Charlet find the gap in style.   (Men’s) New Zealand  beat Pakistan (2-1): New Zealand will face France in the final of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup after edging Pakistan 2-1 in the semi-final. New Zealand came into the game with a strategy, and it took only two minutes for the Black Sticks to go in front as Kane Russell fired an unstoppable penalty corner in. The confidence from the early goal meant that New Zealand was dictating the tempo.They got their second with four minutes remaining in the first quarter. Hugo Inglis did brilliantly on the right and found Jake Smith, who provided a sliding finish on the other side. Pakistan’s attacking flair has been a talking point of the tournament. However, they were not able to find that extra gear to score a goal in the first three quarters. Credit to New Zealand’s defenders, who had the discipline to find a solution for every problem that was thrown their way. The Green Shirts, however, managed to find a way as a lovely team move was finished by Ashraf Rana Waheed with five minutes remaining. But it wasn’t meant to be for Pakistan, who will now play in the third-place match against South Africa. 

Sports Bulletin ReportABBOTTABAD: The 7th edition of the PBCC Blind Cricket T-20 Super League 2024 kicked off on Friday (June 7) at the APS School Cricket Ground in Abbottabad. The tournament features four provincial teams including Sindh, Punjab, KPK, and Balochistan showcasing the top blind cricket players from across Pakistan.Sindh beat Punjab by 4 wickets: The opening match of the tournament was contested between Punjab and Sindh at the APS School Cricket Ground. Sindh won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Punjab team was bowled out for 158 runs in 17.5 overs. Both Babar Ali and Akmal Hayat were the top scorers, each making 23 runs. Mohammad Salman and Idrees Saleem each took 2 wickets for Sindh, while Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Safdar, Naeem Ullah, and Mohammad Ejaz claimed 1 wicket each.In reply, Sindh chased down the target in a nail-biting finish, reaching 159 runs in 19.5 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. Sanwal Shahzada played a crucial innings, scoring 35 runs off 23 balls. Ayoub Khan rescued Sindh with an unbeaten 29 runs off 18 balls, delivering superb strokeplay to secure the 4-wicket victory. Sindh required 13 runs in the last over, which Ayoub successfully achieved. Mohammad Safdar added 31 runs off 28 balls. For Punjab, Mati Ullah took 2 wickets and Sajid Nawaz claimed 1 wicket. Mohammad Safdar got the Man of the Match award.Balochistan beat KPK by 26 runs: Following the exciting first match, the second clash featured KPK and Balochistan in a highly competitive encounter. KPK won the toss and opted to field first, putting Balochistan in to bat. Balochistan set a formidable total, amassing 247 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Haroon Khan dazzled with the bat, scoring a brilliant 75 runs off 44 balls. Shahzaib Haider provided strong support, remaining unbeaten with 50 runs off 31 balls. For KPK, Mohammad Asif managed to claim a wicket.In their reply, KPK put up a valiant effort but fell short, scoring 221 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their 20 overs. Badar Munir was the standout performer for KPK, scoring 46 runs off 26 balls, while Mohammad Rashid contributed a swift 43 runs off 20 balls. Balochistan's Shahzaib Haider showcased his all-round skills by taking 3 crucial wickets. Mohammad Shahzeb and Mohammad Ayyaz also chipped in with a wicket each. Shahzaib Haider was the hero of the match.

Senior journalists ask FIFA, and AFC to take notice of PFF’s negligence and ignorance   Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) failed to provide basic media facilities to journalists during the coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan at the Jinnah Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad on June 6, 2024.PFF issued over 100 accreditation cards to the media persons of twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad including reporters and photographers, as there were merely 30 to 35 media persons to cover the prestigious match of Pakistan football history.There were no basic needs of a reporter like a desk or a table to put a laptop on to make a story comfortably during the match. Just chairs were not enough to work in a media enclosure. The chairs were fixed very close and the men were not able to move, and the shoulders were brushing with each other. There was no electricity cable available to recharge the laptops during the game. While talking to this scribe, the senior journalists asked FIFA, and AFC to take notice of this negligence and ignorance.Shakil Awan, a senior sports journalist from Daily Jang, a highly circulated newspaper in Pakistan said that the federation neglected the media during the mega soccer match. Media persons were deprived of facilities and there were no responsible persons to provide information about players and officials. “They distributed players and officials lists after the match on WhatsApp, as it was needed in starting to create a piece of informative and solid news. The working of PFF officials was not appreciable. Top football bodies should take notice, “he lamented.Former president of the National Press Club (NPC), and senior sports journalist, Sharyar Khan said: “Internet facilities are fundamental needs of media persons to keep in touch back in the office to update the ongoing situation and PFF did not care about this, as we were given user-name and password but the system was not actively working that was huge hurdle to share the information with news desks in time. It is fair and square to say that all arrangements and competition were mismanaged. A big team was here and we should make extraordinary preparations for this historical fixture.”Nasir Abbas Naqvi, a senior staff reporter from Daily Ausaf said: “Internet was the basic need of the journalists especially for electronic media but PFF officials are not professionals and they did not manage the basic facilities for the media areas in the Jinnah Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex on June 6, 2024, during the Pakistan versus Saudi Arabia football match.” Editor Note: Sports Bulletin will welcome any response from any official of the Pakistan Football Federation

Firas Tariq's 2 goals lead Saudi Arabia to a comprehensive victoryAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The high-ranked soccer team Saudi Arabia toyed low-ranked hosts Pakistan 3-0 in a FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier at the Jinnah Football Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad on Thursday night.Firas Tariq Nasser Al-Buraikan scored the first goal for Saudi Arabia in the 26th minute. After fifteen minutes, the Saudi footballer netted another one, giving the visitors a 2-0 edge over the hosts after the first 45-minute half.However, their efforts were thwarted when Saudi Arabia’s Musab Fahd Al-Juwayr netted the third goal of the match in the 51st minute of the match. Pakistan are bottom-placed at Group G of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The South Asian team lost to Saudi football team 4-0 in the first leg of the qualifying matches when they faced off in Al Ahsa. The green shirts will face Tajikistan on June 11 in Dushanbe in what will be their final round 2 away fixture. 

Sports Bulletin ReportTashkent (Uzbekistan): The Pakistan Men's Volleyball Team secured a thrilling victory against Vietnam in the quarterfinals of the AVC Challenger Cup, held from 2-9 June 2024. Pakistan triumphed with a score of 3-2 sets, with points being 19-25, 27-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-12. It was a closely contested match, showcasing excellent performance from both teams.This victory propels Pakistan into the Semi-Finals, where they will face either Korea or Bahrain on 8 June 2024 at 9:00 PM Pakistan time. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players and the strategic leadership of Ch Muhammad Yaqoob, Chairman of the Pakistan Volleyball Federation.Junior Team Update: On the same day, the Pakistan Junior Team competed against Iran in the CAVA U-18 Volleyball Championship. Despite a valiant effort, Pakistan narrowly lost the match by 2-3 sets, with scores of 25-23, 25-13, 22-25, 21-25, and 8-15. The match was intensely competitive, highlighting the potential and skill of the young athletes.

Sports Bulletin ReportDallas, Texas (USA): The United States of America (USA) cricket team overcame former champions Pakistan in the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup match in a super over to claim an upset and historical victory in Dallas Texas USA on Thursday.After being put into bat on a tricky surface, Pakistan stuttered to 159 for seven after slipping to 26 for three and then 98 for five. In their run-chase on a wicket that turned into a batting paradise, the USA reached 104 for one in 13 overs before Pakistan fought back to leave the home side needing 15 runs off the last over. Haris Rauf conceded three runs off the first three deliveries but went for 11 runs off the last three deliveries as the USA tied the match by finishing at 159 for three.In the Super Over, Mohammad Amir bowled a nine-ball over in which the USA scored 18 runs. In reply, the USA’s left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar displayed tremendous composure and conceded only 13 runs, including picking Iftikhar Ahmed’s wicket in an eight-ball over.This was the USA’s biggest victory in their 31-match history, while for Pakistan, it was one of the most shocking results in a 242-match career. A couple of weeks ago, the USA had also beaten Bangladesh 2-1 in a three-match series, while they defeated Canada by seven wickets in their tournament opener.Thursday’s shocking result can be ranked alongside Zimbabwe’s victory over Australia in the 2007 event, the Netherlands' victory over England in the 2009 and 2014 tournaments, Afghanistan’s victory over the West Indies in the 2016 tournament and Namibia’s victory over Sri Lanka in the 2022 competition.The USA has now won both of their matches and have games against Ireland and India remaining, while Sunday’s match against India will potentially be a must-win match for Pakistan to keep their chances of a Super-Eight stage qualification alive. Pakistan will also play Canada (11 June) and Ireland (16 June).A 68-run second-wicket partnership between captain Monank Patel and Andries Gous set up the USA’s historic victory. Patel scored 50 off 38 balls with seven fours and a six, while Gous contributed 35 off 26 balls with five fours and a six.After Gous fell to Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir accounted for Patelto limit the USA to 111 for three in 14.1 overs, Aaron Jones and Nitish Kumar stitched an unbroken 48 runs off 35 balls for the fourth wicket. Jones finished unbeaten on 36 with two fours and two sixes, including a maximum off Haris’ fourth delivery, while Kumar remained not out on a run-a-ball 14 that included a final-ball four that tied the match.Earlier in the day, and after Steven Taylor took a breathtaking catch in the first slip to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan on the eighth ball of the match, Pakistan struggled to 159 for seven with the last 10 overs producing 93 runs for the loss of four wickets. In the second half of the innings, Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with an invaluable 16-ball 23 not out with a four and two sixes and Iftikhar Ahmed contributed a 14-ball 18 with three fours.At the top of the order, captain Babar Azam and Shadab Khan produced a 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket in 48 balls to put Pakistan back on course to a decent total before back-to-back wickets of Shadab and Azam Khan reduced Pakistan to 98 for five, which became 125 for six in the 16th over following the departure of Babar.Shadab scored at a strike-rate of 160 when he contributed 40 runs off 25 balls with a four and three sixes, while Babar was trapped in front of the wickets after scoring 44 off 43 balls with three fours and two sixes.