India’s rare title win as Sri Lanka choke in final

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

History and odds favoured Sri Lanka when they took the field against India in the final of the 10th Asia Cup 2010 in Dambulla on March 24. But for a change the Indians, known to be the chokers at the last hurdle, found their fancied opponents playing that role and handing them over the trophy for the first time in 15 years.

It was one of those rare matches which India managed to win without being in total control. Generally they have had the habit of throwing it away from position of strength but this time they emerged triumphant more because of the follies of their rivals.

It’s not often these days to find a team batting first adding only 55 runs to its total in the last 10 overs of an innings in a limited overs contest. Even the likes of Ireland, Zimbabwe, Scotland and Bangladesh would be expected to collect more runs if they reach the 40-over mark with only four wickets down.

The Indians have had this tendency of not making the most of the death overs for a long time but still getting less than run a ball in last 10 overs while losing only a couple of wickets in the bargain was something beyond imagination.

When you have Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma out in the middle at the stage there’s likelihood of them taking the fight to the opposition. But it was really pathetic to watch them bat without purpose and that too in the final of a tournament.

May be the Indians were scared of the kind of collapse they had suffered in the previous game when they lost their last six wickets for 20 runs after being 189 for four but that should have been forgotten as soon as that nightmarish contest was over for them.

India, though, lived to the reputation of fumbling against run of play yet again. Dinesh Karthik, having played so well, was guilty of mistiming a full toss from part time leg-spinner Thilana Kandamby and getting caught near the deep mid-wicket fence by Mahela Jayawardene.

Kandamby, having not taken any wicket in One-day Internationals before, could hardly believe his luck when he had the well-set Mahendra Singh Dhoni plucked brilliantly at point. It could have been match defining moments.

Earlier the run out of Gautam Gambhir going for third run was a shame. Yet again he was guilty of strolling in the middle when he should have actually sprinted. It’s amazing how he gets away with it in the team meetings because his act of walking leisurely in the process of completing runs is something that can’t be tolerated at the international level.

India’s eventual total of 268 appeared far too short on a pitch where batting wasn’t a difficult proposition but thanks to the Sri Lankan top-order the target became out of reach and the rest was a mere formality.

Dhoni, whose team had succumbed in not too different fashion in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka at National Stadium, Karachi, a couple of years ago, was the relieved man this time.

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Prof Anwar Chowdhry is no more

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

There was a time when Prof Anwar Chowdhry had a larger than life presence on the sports scene. He was acclaimed as an influential global leader who earned the distinction of being the first Pakistani to head an international sports body.

Boxing was his forte but his charisma was spread in nearly every sport and he was recognized as one of the most powerful administrators in Pakistan. With the age taking its toll and the ailments limiting his movements he gradually lost control having receded in the background by the time he breathe his last.

His burial took place in Karachi on June 21 and one of the greatest sports personalities of the country was laid to rest in the presence of some prominent athletes and a large number of his friends and admirers. He had died of cardiac arrest on June 19.

Chowdhry Sahib, as he was affectionately called in the local sports circles, was one of those characters who would be missed for a long time to come. Blessed with some outstanding leadership qualities he had his own ways of doing things and obviously not every one was pleased with the manner he tackled the problems or the issues at different levels.

He had always taken pride in pointing out that while all other leading administrators of the country were content in taking the ceremonial slots of Vice President in the various international bodies he was the one who rose to the ‘executive’ position of the President.

He was quite right because he did make history by becoming the President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) that he headed for quite a few years. As a matter of fact the squash legend Jahangir Khan is the only other Pakistani in the 63-year old history of the country to have led an international sports body.

While Prof Anwar Chowdhry was the helmsman of the AIBA, Jahangir Khan had the honour of being elected as the President the World Squash Federation (WSF) a couple of times.

The international sports community knew Prof Anwar Chowdhry primarily because of his boxing connection. But things were different at the national level where he was considered as an iron-man of the sports arena, having developed a clout that was impossible to be ignored.

Controversies also remained a part and parcel of his long career in sports administration at all levels. He was ousted from the AIBA rather unceremoniously a few years ago while his role in the affairs of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and its component body, the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), also came under the hammer.

He’s believed to have enjoyed absolute power as far as the SOA was concerned for a long period and he was blamed in his lifetime for being chiefly responsible for having kept the provincial Olympic body dormant for a number of years.

He had lost interest in the SOA affairs when it was finally revived in the middle of the 1990s and the group he had kept intact for decades disintegrated soon afterwards.

Although he made overwhelming contribution in putting Pakistan on the boxing map of the world, he was criticized for not having done enough for the promotion of the sport at the national level.

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Singh is King once more

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The encounter between Pakistan and India in the ongoing 10th Asia Cup 2010 in Dambulla lived up to the reputation of another high voltage contest that kept the cricket enthusiasts across the border glued to their television sets until Harbhajan Singh smashed Mohammad Aamer for a huge six in the last over to settle the issue.

It was typical of an Indo-Pak match as India very nearly lost the plot in the closing stages after being in control of the proceedings. Only they could have been expected to lose a 50-over game even when needing just over run a ball in the last 10overs with as many as seven wickets in hand.

Pakistan, on the other hand, have had a history of coming back from the dead. They almost did it once more. Only they could have been expected to pull it back after being outplayed in the earlier phase of the game.

Pakistan’s total of 267 was unlikely to test the Indian batsmen even if they played to half of their potential. Well the Indian batting didn’t fire with Virender Sehwag looking completely out of sorts. Gautam Gambhir, however, batted with purpose and put his team in a commanding position.

With skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma on top of the bowling India appeared poised for a resounding win, even after the departure of Gambhir. But the equation changed dramatically in a matter of a few overs as not only the key wickets tumbled but the run rate was literally jammed.

The dismissal of Dhoni summed up the story. He was paddling a delivery that was certain to be declared a wide had he missed it. Instead the ball changed direction after finding the edge of his bat and he was clean bowled. Ravindra Jadeja is still not the batsman a team like India needs at number seven and he failed again, not unexpectedly though.

That brought two new batsmen to the crease in Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh. While Raina, we all know, had the capacity to take the attack to the opposition but with an asking rate of 10 for the last five overs explosion was needed from both ends.

Harbhajan, who had not been allowed to bowl his full quota of overs by the Pakistan batsmen earlier in the day, made amends with heroics with the bat. He was not afraid to attack Pakistan’s express bowlers and he was able to complete the job after losing Raina in the final over.

India finally won the match by three wickets with just one ball remaining which they could have easily pocketed by seven wickets with quite a few overs in the bag. The Indians came perilously close to having thrown the match from a position of complete control yet again.

The Indians, according to Man of the Match Gambhir, were keen to settle the scores with their arch-rivals after having been floored by Pakistan in the last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. The objective was accomplished albeit unconvincingly in the end.

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Regular editions of Sindh Games to improve standard, infrastructure: Dr Shah

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

“The staging of Sindh Games every year will lead to the improvement in the standard of sports besides the development of infrastructure projects in the different corners of the province.”

This was observed by Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who is also President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), in an exclusive chat at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium on June 18 on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the 13th Sindh Games 2010.

Dr Shah, who has not been in the best of health for the last few weeks and is getting treatment in London, had come to Karachi for a few days primarily for the Sindh Games which he desires to hold every year.

He dashed back to London only a few hours after the conclusion of the 13th Sindh Games but he took key decisions before his departure including the one of holding the 14th Sindh Games at Sukkur in early 2011 to be followed by the 15th Sindh Games at Mirpurkhas at the start of 2012.

“It was the turn of Mirpurkhas to play host to the just concluded 13th Sindh Games here but the baton could not be passed on to them last year due to the lack of facilities over there. We have planned to develop a couple of mega projects in the interim period to let them hold the Sindh Games in 2012 in style,” Dr Shah disclosed.

“There are multiple benefits of holding the Sindh Games every year as originally planned at the time of its launch in 1986. Unfortunately the annual event was organized only 11 times in the first 22 years but we have controlled the damage by holding it in Larkana last year and now another edition has just concluded in Karachi,” he pointed out.

“Not only the standard of sports will improve in this part of the country but a lot of infrastructure projects will also come up to host the growing number of events. Our athletes will get the much needed practice to compete more purposefully in the national and international meets,” Dr Shah reckoned.

When his attention was drawn towards the huge gap between the athletes of Karachi and rest of the province with the hosts picking up 115 gold medals in the 13th Sindh Games and their nearest rivals Hyderabad bagging only 15, he said a lot was needed to be done by the provincial associations to promote their respective games in the interior regions.

Dr Shah, as chief of the provincial Olympic body, faces a daunting prospect of motivating the officials of the provincial associations because the majority of them still remain unfamiliar with the virtues of professional management.

Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, during his tenure as SOA helmsman, had tried to get the best out of the affiliated units but there was not much success and he had to quit without making the kind of contribution he was expected of. It remains to be seen if Dr Shah would be able to turn the SOA into a vibrant entity.

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Sindh Games concludes with a spectacular ceremony

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The curtain fell on the 13th Sindh Games 2010 with a spectacular closing ceremony under floodlights at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium in North Nazimabad on June 16. There was live music and fireworks to entertain the participants and the cheering crowd.

Sindh Education Minister, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, declared the Games closed after awarding the Mohenjodaro Trophy to Karachi, who extended their complete dominance in the provincial event by winning it for 13th time in a row.

He complimented the provincial sports department to have held two editions of Sindh Games in successive years while urging them to offer greater encouragement to the practitioners of the indigenous sports like malakhro, kodi kodi and wanjwatti.

Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who is also President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), attributed the success of the Games to teamwork and he recognized the contribution of the various individuals and institutions.

Dr Shah, chiefly responsible for having the Games staged in the unlikeliest of situations, was himself the motivating force behind the spectacular closing ceremony held at the stadium built by him in 1994.

It was in the fitness of things that the Sindh Games came to the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium with a bang. It was for the first time that the picturesque stadium, having hosted fabulous cricket matches on a regular basis, hosted a Sindh Games event and what an occasion it turned out to be. It was a memorable evening for the young athletes in particular who were even amused by the settings.

In his welcome address, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary Sports & Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, did observe that the smiles on the faces of the participating athletes and their officials from every nook and corner of the province was a reflection that sports indeed spread happiness.

He didn’t mince words in stating that his department had been entrusted to organize the Sindh Games at a short notice and they had to mobilize all their reserve energies to meet the challenge.

Karachi Region, by securing as many as 115 gold medals, stood head and shoulders above their nearest rivals Hyderabad who bagged 15 gold medals with Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas sharing the next three positions. Larkana, however, had the consolation of collecting the Fair Play Trophy.

The individual glories also came Karachi’s way as the versatile female athlete, Almas Ibrahim, repeated her feat in Larkana a year ago by bagging seven gold medals again. Javed Taqi was declared the best male athlete for having earned seven gold medals in swimming.

The 13th edition of the Sindh Games lasted three days in which the male athletes competed in 36 disciplines and the female athletes had 17 events to participate. The mind sport of bridge made a debut with individual and pair events. Another heartening feature of the Games was the overcast weather condition much to the relief of the participating athletes.

There were odd reports of organizational mismanagement during three high voltage days but it was not unexpected in the situation the event was being held.

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13th Sindh Games 2010 inaugurated with great fanfare

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The 13th edition of Sindh Games, promoting the theme of tolerance and carrying the slogan ‘sports spread happiness’ was inaugurated in a colourful ceremony at the PSB Coaching Centre in Karachi on June 14.

Sindh Home Minister, Zulfiqar Mirza, declared the Games open on a pleasant and overcast evening in the presence of Sindh Sports Minister, Dr.Muhammad Ali Shah, who is also the President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), and Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary Sports & Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh.

South Asia’s fastest woman, Nasim Hameed, having made the country proud earlier this year, had the honour of lighting the torch of the Sindh Games being held in her hometown, Karachi, for only the third time in 24 years. Veteran athletes Mohammad Talib and Syed Zahid Ali Rizvi also ran with the torch.

The record number of participating male and female athletes and officials, estimated to be over two thousand, attired in different coloured tracksuits participated in the march past. The promising local sprinter Almas Ibrahim, who clinched as many as eight gold medals in the last Sindh Games in Larkana, took the oath on behalf of the athletes.

Karachi Heroes, Hyderabad Champions, Larkano Tigers, Sukker Riders and Mirpurkhas Superstars are the five regions, comprising of all 21 districts of the province, participating in the three-day extravaganza.

The Olympics disciplines being contested during the Games are athletics, basketball, boxing, badminton, cycling, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, karate, rowing, swimming, softball, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting, volleyball, wrestling and wushu while the non-Olympic sports are kabbadi, bodybuilding, bridge, chess, netball, softball, throwball, kodi kodi, malakharo, muaythai, wanjh watti and shootingball.

The male athletes are in action in 36 disciplines while the women folks are trying their luck in 17 disciplines. As many as 15 venues across the city are being used to stage the Games with the majority of the events being organized at the PSB Coaching Centre, NED University, Karachi University, Sindh Sports Complex Nazimabad and City Sports Complex, Kashmir Road.

The outstation participants, to be paid Rs.250 as the daily allowance for five days, have been provided accommodation in the various hotels besides the hostel of the Karachi University. Originally it had been planned to lodge all the athletes in different educational institutions but there was a last minute move to make arrangements at hotels.


Due to a combination of factors not all the athletes could be provided the track suits before the start of the Games but the organizers didn’t deem it proper to delay any of the events allowing the participants to compete in any other sporting dress.

All the contingent heads, however, were considerate and they expressed satisfaction with the overall arrangements made for the Games and they complimented the provincial government for having met the challenge against the heaviest of odds.

The quintet of Mushtaq Ahmed (Karachi), Rahat Ali Shah (Hyderabad), Iqbal Hussain Makani (Larkana), Abdul Hamid Rajput (Sukkur) and Iqbal Hussain (Mirpurkhas) confirmed having received the daily allowance for their respective contingents.

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Glory for Argentina ahead of big battle

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The much awaited FIFA World Cup Football 2010 kicked off with great fanfare in Johannesburg, South Africa, on June 11 but one of the side events that created waves was the Miss World Cup 2010 Pageant held in Rust, Germany, on June 1.

The Miss World Cup Pageant featured 32 contestants representing each of the participating team in the World Cup in South Africa.

The 17-year old Jennifer Scherman of Argentina won the contest. In second place was Miss Greece, Katerina Giannoglu and she was followed by Miss Netherlands Avalon-Chanel Weijzig.

Jennifer Scherman not only walked away with US$ 6000 and an all-paid trip to Egypt but she brought smiles on the faces of the people of Argentina ahead of the mega event in the field of play. It was considered a perfect gift to the legendary Diego Maradona in particular.

Her triumph must have thrilled her football squad in South Africa who took the pleasure in already winning a World Cup trophy even before the actual kick-off.

A similar event was held in same city on the eve of the FIFA World Cup Football 2006, featuring the representatives for all 32 countries in which Togo’s Edwige Madze Badakcu having run away with the crown.

I think there’s more to see than read about such an event therefore let me conclude this write-up without more narration.

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Sri Lanka favourites to lift trophy

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Of the four participants in the 10th Asia Cup Cricket Tournament 2010, starting in the city of Dambulla on June 15, hosts Sri Lanka appear to be the most formidable outfit to run away with the trophy nine days later.

Sri Lanka and India currently share the record of having won the Asia Cup on the highest number of occasions. Both of them have annexed the title four times each with Pakistan emerging triumphant only one time in nine editions of the continental tourney launched way back in 1984.

History may not be on Pakistan’s side as far as the Asia Cup is concerned but they remain the team to beat in every tournament. Their tendency of bouncing back from the dead keeps every opponent on its toes because they have had this ability of causing huge upsets against the run of play.

Although India appear a stronger outfit than Pakistan at the moment there’s every possibility of the latter advancing to the final where they should meet Sri Lanka unless and until something dramatic happens during the one week of action.

It can’t be said with conviction whether Pakistan would be benefiting by the comeback of the controversial duo of Shoaib Malik and Shoaib Akhtar because neither of the two most gifted of cricketers have been particularly famous for raising the team spirit.

On the contrary they had been accused of either flouting team rules or creating rifts within the team. It remains to be seen if they would take the field with a positive frame of mind to erase the bitter memories of the past.

The return of the two Shoaibs provides Pakistan the much needed experience. It’s an area that should comfort skipper Shahid Khan Afridi, who had a raw outfit at his disposal in the ICC World Twenty20 a few weeks ago.

With the seasoned campaigners like Mohammad Asif, Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq to complement the young guns like Mohammad Aamer, Umar Akmal and Umar Amin, the Pakistan line-up can prove the experts wrong once more by claiming the Asia Cup.

The enigmatic Indians will have a point to prove after the debacle in the recently concluded three-nation ODI series in Zimbabwe where they could not even enter the final.

I don’t know how the Indian cricket authorities look at it but the dismal performance of their youngsters in Zimbabwe should serve as a wake-up call and they need to revisit their strategy to remain a force to be reckoned with in international arena.

Hosts Sri Lanka have no such worries. They clinched the three-nation tourney in Zimbabwe despite having rested some of their key players. Now they have reinforced their squad with the experienced hands to become the most potent side entering the tournament.

Sri Lanka, who had whipped India in the final of the last Asia Cup at National Stadium, Karachi, in July 2008, should walk away with the title once more if they play to their potential.

Bangladesh, I am afraid, have little chance of doing anything more than causing an odd upset although their skipper Shakib-ul-Hasan feels that his team is more suited to 50-overs game that Tests or T20 versions.

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