Under-16, Bangladesh sit in driving seat By Abdul Jabbar Faisal October 26, 2019 RAWALPINDI:-Bangladesh U16 ended the second day of the first three-day match against Pakistan U16 in a commanding position, taking an overall lead of 206 runs with 6 second innings wickets in hand at the Khan Research Labourtries (KRL) stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday. In the morning session, Pakistan U16 resuming their first innings from the overnight score of 40 for four were dismissed for 117 in 45.1 overs. Ibrar Afzaal Khan top-scored with 51 off 74balls, he hit eight fours. Ibrar and Khalid Khan (seven not out) contributed 50-run partnership for the 10th wicket to rescue the hosts from precarious 67 for nine. For Bangladesh, Ahmood Sharif picked four wickets for 24 in 12 overs. Amir Hossain Asif chipped in with three wickets. Taking a lead of 87 runs, the visiting team in their second innings scored 119 for four in 62 overs when stumps were drawn. Bangladesh captain Nayeem Ahmed top-scored with an unbeaten 47 off 150 balls laced with seven fours. Opener Tanbir Alam Sham scored 134-ball 42 and struck seven fours. For Pakistan U16, slow left-arm Ali Asfand was the most successful bowler with took two wickets for 28 runs in 15 overs. Scores in brief:  Bangladesh 204 all-out, 63.5 overs (Radowan Hossan Siyam 84, Nayeem Ahmed 54; Ahmad Khan 4-43, Ali Asfand 2-31, Aliyan Mehmood 2-53 ) and 119-4, 62 overs ( Nayeem Ahmed 47 not-out, Tanbir Alam Sham 42; Ali Asfand 2-28) Pakistan U16 117 all-out, 45.1 overs (Ibrar Afzaal Khan 51, Mohammad Shehzad 19; Ahmood Sharif 4-24, Amir Hossain Asif 3-19, Mohammad Musfik Hasan 2-33)  

Abdul Jabbar Faisal RAWALPINDI:-Pakistan U16 fast bowler Ahmad Khan took a four-wicket haul as the visiting Bangladesh U16 side were bowled out for 204 on the first day of the three-day match at Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) stadium in Rawalpindi on Friday. In reply, Pakistan U16 were 40 for four in 19.2 overs when play ended 6.4 overs remaining due to bad light. After being put into bat, Bangladesh U16 opener Anik Chaki was dismissed lbw for no score in the first over with Ahmad striking on the fourth ball of the over. However, Tanbir Alam Shah (11) partnered with captain Nayeem Ahmed to carry the score to 35 before returning to the dressing room. Nayeem andRadowan Hossan Siyam added 75 runs for the third wicket to take their side to 110 before the former got dismissed for 93-ball 54 which included 10 fours. Batting at number four, Radowan Hossan Siyam scored 84 off 114 balls laced with 10 fours and four sixes. Ahmad Khan ended-up with figures of four for 43 runs in 16 overs, while Ali Asfand and Aliyan Mahmood equally shared four wickets between them. In Pakistan’s turn at the wicket, Bangladesh got a breakthrough early as opener Ali Hasan was dismissed for seven off eight balls. Mohammad Shehzad (19) and Haseeb Imran (10) carried the score to 40, but were dismissed before close. For Bangladesh, Ahmood Sharif and Mohammad Musfik Hasan took two wickets apiece. Scores in brief: Bangladesh (1st innings) 204 all-out, 63.5 overs (Radowan Hossan Siyam 84, Nayeem Ahmed 54; Ahmad Khan 4-43, Ali Asfand 2-31, Aliyan Mehmood 2-53 ) Pakistan U16 (1st innings) 40-4, 19.2 overs (Mohammad Shehzad 19; Ahmood Sharif 2-6, Mohammad Musfik Hasan 2-9)

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD-As many as 190 sixes and 484 fours were smashed over 10 days of cricket during the National T20 Cup at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium. Batsmen from Northern, the title winners, hit 30 per cent of the sixes, thanks to Asif Ali. The hard-hitting middle-order batsman hit 19 off his side’s 56 sixes, with 10 of them coming in an innings. Runner-up Balochistan struck 109 fours, which were the most by any side in the tournament. The batsmen’s domination continued over the course of 18 matches. 5,448 runs were scored as 26 half-centuries and two centuries – both from Central Punjab batsmen Babar Azam and Ahmed Shehzad – were cracked.  Boasting a star-studded bowling lineup which included Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Musa Khan and Haris Rauf, Northern were expected to be the strongest bowling unit of the tournament. They lived up to their reputation taking the most number of wickets for a team with 59 scalps. Overall, 221 wickets were taken in the tournament.  Reviewing his team’s performance, Northern captain Imad Wasim said: “Our batting and bowling was way ahead of the other teams and to win such tournaments all members of the side need to rise to the occasion which the players of my team did.  “Though this was a domestic tournament, we played for our pride.” As T20 format is never expected to be bowler friendly, only one five-wicket haul was recorded in the tournament, which went to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Usman Shinwari.  The left-arm fast-bowler took five wickets for 13 runs against Northern in the first semi-final of the tournament, which his side lost by three runs.  His captain Mohammad Rizwan bagged the player of the tournament award for scoring 215 runs, with two fifties, and dismissing six batsmen behind the stumps in six matches.  The best batsman and best bowler of the tournament were Awais Zia and Sohail Tanvir for scoring 276 runs and taking 14 wickets in seven matches each.  Pakistan U19 captain and Northern wicketkeeper-batsman Rohail Nazir bagged the best wicketkeeper award with seven dismissals in seven matches.

SB Report  ISLAMABAD-The FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers got off to a flying start on Friday (25 October), with the women's teams of Australia, Belgium and Spain all victorious in their respective matches to move one step closer to securing berths at next year's Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.   In the first of the two-leg ties, Australia beat Russia 4-2 in Perth before Belgium recorded an impressive 2-0 away win against China. Spain's women were also winners, edging past Korea 2-1. In the men's qualifiers, Spain and France played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, leaving their two-leg tie finely balanced. RESULT: Perth (AUS) - Women: Australia 4, Russia 2 (Match 1 of 2) Australia (FIH World Ranking: 2) claimed a 4-2 victory against Russia (WR:19) in the opening match of the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers, but certainly did not have it all their own way. The Hockeyroos opened up a 2-0 lead inside the opening two minutes thanks to poacher's goals from Emily Chalker and 17-year-old attacker Amy Lawton, as the hosts threatened to run riot. However, Russia captain Bogdana Sadovaia dragged her team back into the contest with an eighth minute field goal before Alina Khalimova's superb penalty corner deflection seven minutes after half time restored parity at 2-2. Australia were not to be denied, however, with Grace Stewart and a second for Chalker giving the home favourites both a 4-2 victory and a strong advantage ahead of the second meeting between the two teams on Saturday.  RESULT: Changzhou (CHN) - Women: China 0, Belgium 2 (Match 1 of 2) Belgium (WR:12) took a 2-0 lead in their opening match against China (WR:10) courtesy of strikes at both ends of the game. Jill Boon opened the scoring in the second minute of the match and Stephanie Vanden Borre gave her side an invaluable 2-0 lead in the 58th minute. While the Red Panthers have an undoubted advantage going into the second of two matches on Saturday, China will be pulling out all the stops to attempt to turn the scoreline around. The hard-working trio of Zhang Jinrong, Ou Zixia and Peng Yang caused plenty of problems for the Belgium defence and, as Player of the Match Anne-Sophie Weyns made clear, this is only the half-way point in this Olympic qualifier. RESULT: Valencia (ESP) - Men: Spain 3, France 3 (Match 1 of 2) Spain's men (WR:8) were forced to fight back from 3-0 down before salvaging a 3-3 draw against a France (WR:12) team that impressed greatly in a thrilling contest at Valencia's Estadio Betero. Victor Charlet, Gaspard Baumgarten and Amaury Bellenger all netted in the second quarter before Xavi Lleonart pulled a goal back from the penalty spot just before half time. Veteran striker Pau Quemada netted penalty corner efforts in the third and fourth quarters to ensure that the points were shared, meaning that Saturday's second meeting between the two teams is very much 'winner takes all'.  RESULT: Valencia (ESP) - Women: Spain 2, Korea 1 (Match 1 of 2) Spain's women (WR:7) claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Korea (WR:11), but were certainly forced to do it the hard way. Jang Heesun put Korea ahead with a 19th minute penalty corner, a strike that was cancelled out thanks to a diving finish from Belen Iglesias just four minutes later. Lola Reira scored the winning goal with a penalty corner drag-flick in the 39th minute, giving Spain a slender advantage over the Koreans going into tomorrow's second leg. How Olympic qualification works: The winners will be determined as follows: teams will be ranked according to the number of points each has accumulated in both matches (for each match, 3 points are awarded to the winner, 1 point to each team in the event of a draw and 0 point to the loser). If there is equality among the two teams, then the teams will be ranked according to their respective goal difference. If the equality remains, a shoot-out competition will be played to establish the winner. FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers – Day 1 Results Friday 25 October 2019 Perth (AUS) - Women: Australia 4, Russia 2 (Match 1 of 2) Changzhou (CHN) - Women: China 0, Belgium 2 (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Men: Spain 3, France 3 (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Women: Spain 2, Korea 1 (Match 1 of 2) Upcoming Fixtures Saturday 26 October 2019 - Day 2 Changzhou (CHN) - Women: China v Belgium (Match 2 of 2) Perth (AUS) - Women: Australia v Russia (Match 2 of 2) Amsterdam (NED) – Men: Netherlands v Pakistan (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Men: Spain v France (Match 2 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Women: Spain v Korea (Match 2 of 2) Vancouver (CAN) – Men: Canada v Ireland (Match 1 of 2) Sunday 27 October 2019 - Day 3 Amsterdam (NED) – Men: Netherlands v Pakistan (Match 2 of 2) Vancouver (CAN) – Men: Canada v Ireland (Match 2 of 2) Friday 1 November 2019 - Day 4 Bhubaneswar (IND) – Women: India v USA (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India v Russia (Match 1 of 2) Saturday 2 November 2019 - Day 5 Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand v Korea (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Women: India v USA (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain v Chile (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India v Russia (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany v Italy (Match 1 of 2) London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain v Malaysia (Match 1 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany v Austria (Match 1 of 2) Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland v Canada (Match 1 of 2) Sunday 3 November 2019 - Day 6 Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand v Korea (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain v Chile (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany v Italy (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain v Malaysia (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany v Austria (Match 2 of 2) Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland v Canada (Match 2 of 2)

SB Report (October 25, 2019) ISLAMABAD-The three-day ITF Worldwide Coaches Conference under the banner of BNP Paribas kicked off from Friday (today) Bangkok from 25th to 27th October, 2019. The Pakistani participants Rashid Malik Secretary Punjab Lawn Tennis Association and Hamid Niaz, National Coordinator of the Pakistan Juniors Tennis Initiative program (JTI) met with Haggerty President International Tennis Federation (ITF) at the ITF Coaches Conference.  The Other coaches from Pakistan attending this important annual event are Asim Shafik National Development Director PTF, Head Coach NTC, Sara Mansoor Fed Cup Captain, and Nouman ul Haq ITF Level-1 Certified Coach.

  SB Report  LAHORE:-For the first time in history, Pakistan women will be in action at the home of Pakistan cricket when they will host Bangladesh women in a three-match T20 series on Saturday. The two teams meet in the shortest format for the second time in 13 months after Bangladesh hosted Pakistan in a four-match T20I series in October last year, which Pakistan won 3-0. The upcoming series also serves a perfect opportunity to the hosts to test their bench strength with their mainstay Nida Dar in Australia for the Women Big Bash League, while their most experienced campaigner Sana Mir unavailable for the series opener. The T20 series is part of Bangladesh women’s 10-day tour in which they will also play two one-day internationals against Pakistan at the same venue. With Pakistan slated to host world champions England in the ICC Women’s Championship in Malaysia in December, these matches serve an opportunity to get their permutations and combinations right. In line with its policy to develop and promote women’s cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board will live stream the tour on its YouTube channel. Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof said: “We are coming from a 10-day camp in which we put great emphasis on our fielding. Our bowlers worked on bettering different variations and the batters are looking in good form. We are well-aware of the challenge that the Bangladesh present and this will surely be an exciting series. “This series is the season-opener for us and we want to start off on a winning note as it will help us in building the momentum ahead of the England and West Indies series. “With our key player Nida Dar unavailable for this series and Sana Mir joining the side from the second T20I, we have inducted some youngsters in the squad. So there’s an opportunity for them to grab the opportunity and leave a mark ahead of what promises to be an exciting season. “This is the first time we will be playing in Lahore and the girls are pretty charged up. We look forward to playing in Lahore and expect the fans to fill up the stadia to support women’s cricket.” Bangladesh T20 captain Salma Khatun said: “We are very much looking forward to the series against a strong Pakistan side, who will be particularly tough in home conditions. “It is nice to be back. Pakistan are a familiar opponent for us and we have had some pretty exciting matches over the years. Our side thrives on team spirit. A nice balance has developed in our game and I am confident that we will be very competitive in the series.” Squads Pakistan T20I squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Kainat Imtiaz, Nahida Khan, Omaima Sohail, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sana Mir, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz Bangladesh T20I squad: Salma Khatun (captain), Ayesha Rahman, Ekka Mollik, Fargana Hoque, Jahanara Alam, Khadija Tul Kubra, Lata Mondal, Nigar Sultana, Panna Ghosh, Rumana Ahmed, Sanjida Islam, Shamima Sultana, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Sharmin Akhter and Sharmin Sultana Schedule 26 October – 1st T20I (1.00pm-3.45pm), Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 28 October – 2nd T20I (10am-12.45pm), Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 30 October – 3rd T20I (10am-12.45pm), Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 2 November – 1st ODI (9.30am-4.35pm), Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 4 November – 2nd ODI (9.30am-4.35pm), Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore The PCB has appointed match officials for the five matches. The details are as follows: 1st T2oI – On-field umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Tariq Rasheed, Reserve umpire: Faisal Khan Afridi, Match referee: Mohammad Anees 2nd T20I – On-field umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Khan Afridi, Reserve umpire: Nasir Hussain Sr., Match referee: Mohammad Anees 3rd T20I – On-field umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Tariq Rasheed, Reserve umpire: Nasir Hussain Sr., Match referee: Mohammad Javed Malik 1st ODI – On-field umpires: Shozab Raza and Asif Yaqoob, Reserve umpire: Tariq Rasheed, Match referee: Mohammad Javed Malik 2nd ODI – On-field umpires: Shozab Raza and Asif Yaqoob, Reserve umpire: Tariq Rasheed, Match referee: Mohammad Anees

SB Report  KARACHI:-Two-time winners Pakistan will play Scotland in their opening match of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 at the University Oval, Potchefstroom on Sunday, 19 January. The tournament schedule was announced today (Thursday) by the International Cricket Council. Sixteen teams will be taking part in the 24-day tournament that runs from 17 January to 9 February 2020. The final will be played at Benoni’s JP Marks Oval on 9 February. Pakistan’s second match will be against Zimbabwe at the Witrand Oval in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, 22 January. The third and final group match for Pakistan will be played on 24 January at the JP Marks Oval, where the Boys in Green will square-up against Bangladesh. The top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the Super League while the remaining teams feature in the Plate Championship. The Super League stage will commence from Tuesday, 28 January. The top four teams from the Super League stage qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners competing for the title on Sunday, 9 February. Pakistan won the 2004 and 2006 editions of the tournament held in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka respectively. Pakistan have also finished as runners-up in three editions. Hassan Khan led Pakistan in the last edition of the tournament in New Zealand in 2018, where they were beaten by India in the semi-finals. The tournament was first played in 1988. Since 1998, the event has been held once every two years. India have won the tournament four times, Australia have been winners thrice, England, South Africa and the West Indies have won the tournament once each besides Pakistan’s two wins. The top 11 full Members in the last edition in New Zealand and the five regional champions, who have qualified for the event, will also play warm-up matches from 12-15 January in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Nigeria (Africa) make an appearance for the first time along with Japan (East Asia Pacific). They are joined by other regional qualifiers Canada (Americas), United Arab Emirates (Asia) and Scotland (Europe).  

SB Report  KARACHI:-Northern ended the remarkable unbeaten run of Southern Punjab in the National T20 2nd XI tournament with a comfortable 40-run win in the tournament final played at the National Stadium, Karachi on Thursday. Southern Punjab who had remained undefeated in the tournament by winning each of their five round matches besides overcoming Central Punjab in the semi-final capitulated under pressure in the final against an inspired Northern side that produced a memorable all-round performance to lift the trophy. Batting first after being sent in, Northern posted a mammoth 196 for seven in their 20 overs. Shoaib Ahmed Minhas held the innings together with a 45-ball 68 which included four fours and three sixes. Man-of-the-Match Jamal Anwar hit a quickfire 40 off 21 balls to ensure Northern’s huge total. Opener Zeeshan Malik made 34 off 19 balls; at the end of the innings, semi-final hero Shahzad Azam scored an unbeaten 22 off nine balls (two fours and two sixes). Zulfiqar Babar took three wickets for 28 runs in his four overs.  Southern Punjab lost their way in the chase after an 85-run opening stand between Zeeshan Ashraf (61 off 26 balls, three sixes and eight fours) and Mukhtar Ahmed (22 off 25 balls, two fours). Leg-spinner Osama Mir took three while Nauman Ali and Salman Irshad two wickets each to derail the Southern Punjab batting line-up. Southern Punjab crashed from 85 without loss to 156 all out in 17.5 overs as Northern celebrated an unlikely win. Scores in brief: Final Southern Punjab v Northern, National Stadium, Karachi Northern 196 for 7, 20 overs (Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 68, Jamal Anwar 40, Zeeshan Malik 34; Zulfiqar Babar 3-28) Southern Punjab 156 all out in 17.5 (Zeeshan Ashraf 61, Maqbool Ahmed 26; Osama Mir 3-28, Salman Irshad 2-13) Man-of-the-Match Jamal Anwar Player-of-the-Tournament Nauman Ali (160 runs and 10 wickets) Best-Batsman-of-the-Tournament Zeeshan Ashraf (395 runs) Best-Bowler-of-the-Tournament Raza Ali Dar and Mohammad Imran (13 wickets each) Best-Wicketkeeper-of-the-Tournament Mohammad Ikhlaq and Maqbool Ahmed (7 victims each)  

Abdul Jabbar Faisal RWALPINDI:-The Pakistan U16 will take on Bangladesh U16 in a three-day fixture at the Khan Research Laborites Stadium (KRL) in Rawalpindi from Friday. The Bangladesh U16 are on their return tour to Pakistan after beating Pakistan U16 2-1 in the three 50-over matches series and 1-0 in the two three-day match series at home in April-May this year. The two teams are scheduled to play a series of two three-day matches and three 50-over matches from 25 October to 8 November, all five games will be played at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi. Pakistan is captained by all-rounder Aliyan Mehmood, who has featured in five 50-over matches and one T20 match for Pakistan at the U16-level. Mohammad Waqas is the vice-captain, who has featured in three 50-over matches and two three-day matches. Pakistan will be banking on their fast bowling department with the likes of Ahmad Khan, Aseer Mughal and Khalid Khan. Abbottabad’s Ahmad Khan, has featured in six 50-over matches for Pakistan picking 14 wickets, while he grabbed four wickets from the two three-day matches in Bangladesh. Rawalpindi’s Aseer Mughal was the most successful bowler in the three-match 50-over series for Pakistan against Bangladesh U16 with eight scalps despite the visitors losing the series 2-1. He also took seven wickets in the second three-day match which was a drawn match at Sheikh Abu Naseer Stadium in Khulna. Quetta’s Khalid Khan took eight wickets with an average of 15.50 in the same series. His best figures of 5-33 in an innings came in a losing cause at the Fatullah Khan Saheb Osmani Stadium in Fatullah. On Thursday, the two captains – Bangladesh’s Nayeem Ahmed and Aliyan Mehmood of Pakistan – had a picture opportunity with the series trophy with Aliyan hoping to play a competitive series. Aliyan Mehmood said: “This is going to be an exciting series, as we will be playing a competitive side at our home ground. We have prepared really well for the matches, the coaches have worked really hard on us and we will come up with a strategy to start the series on a positive note. “Captaining the side is a huge honor for me. I am grateful to the management for having faith in my abilities and I look forward to perform to the best of my abilities and bring positive results for the team. “We have done our preparations; the series provides an equal opportunity for both the teams to showcase their talent.” Bangladesh have named left-handed batsman Nayeem Ahmed as their captain for the series. Bangladesh captain Nayeem Ahmed said: “We are here for the series since last two days, and practicing really hard. The players are motivated to play a competitive cricket in the next two weeks.” Squads Three-day (to be selected from): Pakistan - Aaliyan Mehmood (captain) (Karachi), Mohammad Waqas (vice-captain) (Faisalabad), Abbas Ali (Peshawar), Afzal Manzoor (wicketkeeper) (Sialkot), Ahmad Khan (Abbottabad), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Ali Hasan (Sialkot), Aseer Mughal (Rawalpindi), Ayaz Shah (FATA), Farhad Khan (FATA), Haseeb Imran (Rawalpindi), Ibrar Afzal (Lahore), Khalid Khan (Quetta), Mohammad Shehzad (Multan), Mohammad Sikandar (Hyderabad) and Rizwan Mehmood (Hyderabad) Bangladesh -  Nayeem Ahmed (captain), Ahmood Sharif, Ahosun Habib Leon, Amir Hossain Asif, Anik Chaki, Arafat Islam, Ashiqur Zaman, Limon Hossain , Mazharul Hoque Rupom, Minhajul Hasan Magh, Mohammad Musfik Hasan, Radowan Hossan Siyam, Shamsul Islam Epon, Tanbir Alam Sham and Tawhidul Islam Ferdus Schedule: 25-27 October – First three-day, Pakistan U16 v Bangladesh U16, KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi 30 October-1 November – Second three-day, Pakistan U16 v Bangladesh U16, KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi 4 November – First One-Day, Pakistan U16 v Bangladesh U16, KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi 6 November – Second One-Day, Pakistan U16 v Bangladesh U16, KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi 8 November – Third One-Day, Pakistan U16 v Bangladesh U16, KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi

  SB Report ISLAMABAD-The 9th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Amateur Golf Championship 2019 will tee off from October 25 2019 at Defence Raya Golf & Country Club Lahore. The three-day Championship represents a continuity of effort and devotion by Pakistan Navy to the cause of promoting Golf in the country.  It has now acquired the status of a premier event and is eagerly sought by champions of our golf arena as well as other upcoming and talented golfers who seek elevation of their ranking in the national golf circuit of Pakistan.  From the moment the schedule of the CNS Golf Championship is announced, there is a craze amongst the golfing community for getting registered as competitors and participants but then only the skilled ones are eligible and an amateur golfer has to be in the handicap 12 and below to get accepted as a participant in the actual championship. The Patron is extremely delighted that this event has become an essential part of the National Golf events since its inception 8 years back in 2011. In this event, the golf players seek participation joy and glory will come forward and demonstrate their playing skill and ability in the premier activity.  Moreover, through continuity, this championship has attained an admirable status and is regarded as eminent championship of the national golf calendar. Before I move forward first let me acknowledge the services of the Defence Raya Golf & Country Club management and staff for providing full support in organizing these events and have prepared the Golf Course in a way that the participants will be much comfortable.  I understand that fairways are in great shape and accurate hitting will be a pleasure, for the participants. Pakistan Navy wishes to enhance its association with sports promotion and development.  Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi NI(M) is a sports lover and whole-heartedly subscribes to the holding of this national golf event and whishes the best to all participants. Eligibility criteria for the main event for amateurs will be contested over three rounds with 18 holes to be played each day making it a total of 54 holes.  Winner in this category will be awarded the title and the trophy and the victorious one will be the competitor with the best gross score.  The seniors will compete over a total of 18 holes on 25 October.  Those eligible to participate must be above 55 years and have a handicap of 14 and below.  Ladies contest will be over 18 holes on 25 October and criteria for handicap is 30 and below.  The participating ladies are spirited about the Championship and are optimistic about their chances.  But then there are some very determined ones who have all the urge to appear as the challengers. I must admire that, my entire team have vigorously pursued the arrangements to ensure that excellence remains the hallmark of the event.  As for the playing arena, Defence Raya Golf Course has a standing amongst the golf courses of Asia and will be a challenge to the competing golfers, especially those coming from other stations. In the end I take this opportunity to extend my heartiest appreciation to the management of Defence Raya Golf & Country Club and all sponsors who have ensured their all out support to the team of Station Headquarter Navy in organizing this Mega event. Without their support this championship of such a magnitude is very difficult to be organized.