FPS, RPS register wins in HBL Inter-Schools cricket

Pakistan News &  Features Services

Foundation Public School (FPS) and Rangers Public School (RPS) registered victories in the latest league matches of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014. 

Osama Khan’s brilliant all-round performance helped FPS overcome Ladybird Grammar School (LGS) by 11 runs in a keenly contested Group A tie at the SKBZ Ground while Abu Huraira’s five-wicket haul allowed RPS to overwhelm Happy Home Secondary School (HHSC) by seven wickets in their Group F encounter at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabnad Stadium. 

The tournament is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), and a total of 32 teams, including a couple of outfits selected by HBL on the basis of open trials, are participating in it. 

Number three Osama Khan (51 off 58 balls) and opener Saif Ali (34 off 55 balls) put FPS on course of a mammoth total but fine bowling by the spin trio of S M Ashar (3-22), Salman Ahmed (2-13) and Bilal Hussain (2-28) bowled them out for 169 in 36.2 overs. 

Set to score in 170 in 40 overs, LGS lost the top-order cheaply but Abdullah’s 67 off 55 balls opened up the contest. They fell 12 runs short of their target losing their final wicket with 5.3 overs going unutilized. The innings was wrecked by left-arm spinner Osama Khan (4-38) and medium-pacer Bilal Khurram (3-32). 

Left-arm spinner Abu Huraira (5-16) and leg-spinner Shah Munib (3-27) sent HHSS crashing to 87 all out in 24.5 overs with opener Osama Rasheed (15 off 25 balls) being their topscorer. 

RPS knocked off the modest target of 88 in only 14.5 overs with openers Mansoor Butt (21 of 11 balls) and Raza Qamar (19 off 31 balls) getting them off to a flying start.

readmore »»

KGS outwit St Patrick’s in HBL Inter-Schools cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Karachi Grammar School defeated St Patrick’s High School by 20 runs in their closely fought Group E encounter of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 at the SKBZ Ground, Karachi.

Organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), the tournament is being contested by a total of 32 teams, including a couple of outfits selected by HBL on the basis of open trials. 

Electing to bat first, after winning the toss, KGS batted out their quota of 40 overs to post a competitive total of 192 for seven. 

Their opponents kept the match alive despite losing wickets regular until they were bowled out for 172 in 34.5 overs. 

Opener Khizar Saqib (60 off 78 balls) weathered the early storm while it was Ghasharib Shaukat’s unbeaten 73 off 61 balls with the help of eight boundaries which lifted the KGS total substantially in the final overs. Medium-pacer Salman Khan (2-45) was the pick of the bowlers with Rafay Murtaza, Saifullah Shafaat, Saad Abdul Basit and Mohammad Waris being other wicket-takers. 

Medium-pacers Salman Ali and Abdullah Nasir blew the top-order of St Patrick’s High School to reduce them to 59 for five but their fortunes were revived by the 64-run sixth wicket stand between Umama Intikhan (53 off 51 balls) and Alyan Afzal (21 off 35 balls). 

The lower-order batsmen also contributed their but they fell 21 short of the target with 5.1 overs remaining used. The bowling honours were shared by the trio of Ali Raza (3-27), Salman Ali (3-33) and Abdullah Nasir (3-33).

readmore »»

Mudassir Abbas, Mohammad Nabil shine in HBL Inter-Schools cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Mudassir Abbas and Mohammad Nabil produced sensational performance to guide their respective outfits to crushing victories in the Group G matches of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 being held in Karachi. 

Left-arm spinner Mudassir Abbas took seven wickets for only 10 runs as Ebrahim Ali Bhai School trounced Fahims School System by 143 runs at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium while all-rounder Mohammad Nabil followed up his knock of 45 with a five-wicket haul to power Khan Secondary School to a massive 222-run victory over Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School at the TMC Ground.

The tournament is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and a total of 32 teams, including a couple of outfits selected by HBL on the basis of open trials, are participating in the event which will continue until November. 

Ebrahim Ali Bhai School overcame a middle-order collapse to reach a total 208 in 32 overs with Tahir Marwat scoring an unbeaten 70 off 77 balls with the help of eight fours while opener Mohammad Owais contributed a blazing 52 off 32 balls, blasting one six and seven fours. The innings was wrecked by left-arm spinner Ihtaram-ul-Haq (5-34). 

Set to score 209 in 40 overs, Fahims School System collapsed dramatically against the spin duo of Mudassir Abbas (7-10) and Mohammad Shoaib (2-12), tumbling to 65 all out in 12.2 overs. They lost their last nine wickets for only 10 runs after the 50-run second wicket partnership between Ihtaram-ul-Haq (22 off 26 balls) and Abdul Hamid (17 off 29 balls). 

In the other game, Khan Secondary School rattled up a huge score of 279 in 39.5 overs with Arsal Bashir (55 off 49 balls), Rizwan Meo (53 off 48 balls), Mohammad Nabil (45 off 46 balls) and Sujawal Khan (29 off 27 balls) sustaining tempo with Mudassair Raza (4-32), Qasim Jaffery (2-17) and Zameen Hussain (2-67) being the successful bowlers. 

Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School, chasing a target of 280 in 40 overs, succumbed to the scorebaord pressure to be bowled out for 57 in 14.3 overs with the medium-pace of Mohammad Nabil (5-21) and Waqar Hussain (2-28) doing the damage. The demoliaion was completed by left-arm spinner Arish Ali who took wickets for only two runs.

readmore »»

Victories for Fahad Academy, Zeeshan Public in HBL Inter-Schools cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Fahad Academy and Zeeshan Public School prevailed over their respective rivals in the Group D matches of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 being held in Karachi. 

Fahad Academy edged out New Standard School by 14 runs at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium while Zeeshan Public School defeated Qadri Model School by five wickets in at the TMC Ground. 

The tournament is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and a total of 32 teams, including a couple of outfits selected by HBL on the basis of open trials, are participating in the event which will continue until November. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Fahad Academy was bowled out for 179 in 35.3 overs with Farhan Shah (30 off 41 balls) and Tausif Khan (29 off 50 balls) being the leading scorers as the innings was wrecked by off-spinner Shahzaib Khan (4-29) and medium-pacer Ata-ur-Rahman (2-50). 

Useful contributions from opener Shahid Khan (42 off 42 balls), Fazal Hayat (27 off 48 balls) and Ata-ur-Rahman (26 off 51 balls) put New Standard School on course of victory but they were tormented by the left-arm spinners Mohammad Saleem (4-14) and Umair Bin Yousuf (3-19) to be routed for 165 in 39.3 overs. 

In the other match, Qadri Model School amassed 181 for nine in the allotted 40 overs with opener Ashar Qureshi (63 off 70 balls), Jabbar Ali Khan (26 off 33 balls) and Uzair Ali Khan (23 off 23 balls) keeping the scoreboard ticking over despite fine bowling from leg-spinners Mirza Burhan (3-28) and Mohammad Ali (3-35). 

Mohammad Ali then kick-started Zeeshan Public School’s reply with 41 off 44 balls, hitting eight boundaries. Then number four Mohammad Asim played gem of a knock, as he scored an unbeaten 67 off 51 balls with the help of one six and nine fours, to steer his team to victory with nearly 11 overs to spare. Left-arm spinner Babar Qureshi (2-47) and off-spinner Ashar Qureshi (2-48) were the successful bowlers for Qadri Model School.

readmore »»

Karachi Public, Behhbud triumph in HBL Inter-Schools cricket

Pakistan News &  Features Services

Karachi Public School and Behbud Boys Secondary School overpowered their respective rivals in the league matches of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014. 

Karachi Public School overwhelmed Happy Home School by 10 wickets in their Group F encounter at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium while Behbud School defeated Foundation Public School by four wickets at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground. 

The tournament is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and a total of 32 teams, including a couple of outfits selected by HBL on the basis of open trials, are participating in the event which will conclude in November. 

Karachi Public School’s medium-pacer Abdul Rafay produced a sensational spell of seven for 14 off eight overs to send Happy Home School tumbling to 45 all out in 18.5 overs. His new ball partner Musab Wasim (2-14) also bowled well as their opponents lost their last nine wickets for only 22 after the dismissal of opener Waliuddin (16 off 17 balls) who was the lone batsman to enter double figures. 

The Karachi Public School openers Maruf Abbas (20 off 15 balls) and Ali Tirmizi (11 off 21 balls) knocked off the required runs in just six overs as they won the match with all their 10 wickets and as many as 34 overs to spare. 

There was a closer contest in the other game as Foundation Public School made 150 in 34.3 overs with number three Osama Khan (71 off 117 balls) holding the innings together while leg-spinner Haider Ali (3-33) and medium-pacer Saddam Hussain (2-31) were the pick of the bowlers. 

Set to score 151 in 40 overs, Behbud School lost wickets at regular intervals but they managed to romp home in the 24th over with four wickets in hand. They were helped by fine knocks from opener Farhan Khan (42 off 54 balls) and Haider Ali (27 off 26 balls).

readmore »»

Falconhouse, Kamran Public registers wins in HBL Inter-Schools cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Falconhouse Grammar School and Kamran Public School registered victories over their respective rivals in the Group C league matches of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 being held in Karachi. 

Falconhouse Grammar School defeated Azeem Academy by three wickets at the TMC Ground while Kamran Public School began their campaign with 78-run victory over Aga Khan Higher Secondary School at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium. 

Leg-spinner Umairuddin Fakhri (4-39) and medium-pacer Waqas Farid (3-22) sent Azeem Academy crashing to 157 all out in 33.1 overs with Ibrahim Khan striking one six and three fours in his enterprising 47 off as many balls. 

Opener Abdullah smashed five boundaries in his 37 off 35 balls to provide Falconhouse Grammar School a bright start. Medium-pacers Usman Zain (3-53) and Hammad Jahangir (2-27) alongwith off-spinner Ibrahim Khan (2-20) pulled it back but Zain Haider’s solid 29 off 49 balls helped the batting side reach the target with 11.4 overs to spare. 

In the other match, half centuries from opener Ubaidullah Khan (79 off 102 balls) and Tariq Bakht (56 off 76 balls) allowed Kamran Public School to post a formidable total of 231 for four in the allotted 40 overs with off-spinner Saad Aslam (2-53) being the most successful bowler in the innings. 

Aga Khan Higher Secondary School was bowled out for 153 in 32.3 overs despite Hasan Ashraf’s 50 off 75 balls. The innings was wrecked by off-spinner Mohammad Bin Junaid(5-22) while leg-spinner Mohammad Akif (2-10) and medium-pacer Hammad Mujeeb (2-23) also bowled effectively. 

The tournament is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and a total of 32 teams, which include a couple of outfits selected by HBL on the basis of open trials, are taking part in it.

readmore »»

Jonathan Yaqoob spins St Paul School to victory in HBL Inter-Schools opener

Pakistan News &  Features Services

Jonathan Yaqoob, with a six-wicket haul, spun St Paul School to six-wicket victory over Rangers Public School in the inaugural match of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 18. 

Coming in to bowl as the ninth bowler in the innings, off-spinner Jonathan Yaqoob, adjudged Man of the Match, turned the game around with a spell of six for 34 off 7.1 overs which sent Rangers Public School crashing to 175 all out in 35.1 overs after being 121 for one in 22 overs. Set to score 176 in 40 overs, St Paul School reached the target in 31 overs. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Rangers Public Scchool got off to a solid start through the opening pair of Raza Qamar (37 off 50 balls) and Mansoor Hussain (27 off 30 balls). The innings was consolidated by number three Masood Ansari who strick one six and five fours in 50 off 56 balls. 

The off-spinning trio of Jonathan Yaqoob (6-34), Rohit Mukesh (2-20) and Hamza Khan (2-30) brought about a dramatic collapse that saw Rangers Public School lose their last nine wickets for only 54 runs. 

Opener Noman Ahmed’s 53 off 79 balls containing five fours led St Paul School’s reply and number three Umar Abdullah’s unbeaten 46 off as many balls helped them reach the target with nine overs to spare. 

Before the start of the opening match more than 500 students from the participating schools had participated in the inauguration ceremony graced by Pakistan’s cricketing icons Shahid Khan Afridi and Younis Khan, both of them proud products of HBL. 

The tournament, being contested by 32 teams, including a couple of them selected by HBL on the basis of open trials, is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). At the end of the league matches, the eight group champions will qualify for the quarter-finals. The final is due to be played at the Karachi Gymkhana on November 27.

readmore »»

Rampaging Sajjad regains NBP trophy

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Mohammad Sajjad, the first-ever cueist to be taken in their folds by the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), regained the NBP trophy, sponsored by his employers, by outsmarting eighth seed Imran Shahzad in an all-Punjab final.

Two-times national champion Sajjad, hailing from Sargodha, defeated Imran, another former national champion from Lahore, 8-5 with the frame scores of 73-33, 102-5, 72-1, 70-40, 2-75, 32-78, 83-0, 65-14, 87-24, 0-86, 0-110, 0-93, 77-17 in the final of the 6th NBP Ranking Snooker Championship 2014 at the NBP Sports Complex, Karachi, on September 18. 

The prize distribution ceremony, in which Nausherwan Adil, Senior Executive Vice President & Chief of Operations Group, was the chief guest, was held soon after the conclusion of the final. Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Commissioner, Karachi, was also present on the occasion. 

Both the speakers commended the improvement in the standard of snooker at the national level in the recent past, hoping that the momentum will be sustained in future as well. 

Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), in his welcome address, acknowledged the overwhelming contribution of NBP by means of employing as many as four cueists besides sponsoring a national ranking event every year. 

Cash prizes of Rs 174,000 were disbursed among the top performers with winner Mohammad Sajjad receiving a purse of Rs 60,000 and runner-up Imran Shahzad getting Rs 35,000. The losing semifinalists, Abdul Sattar and Asjad Iqbal, earned Rs 15,000 each while Hamza Akbar won the highest break award, fetching him Rs 5,000. 

There was broader smile on the face of Mohammad Sajjad when he was presented a bonus cheque of Rs 100,000 by the NBP management for having played the semifinals of the IBSF World Snooker Champion last year. 

The best of 15-frame final, featuring two of the most accomplished cueists of the country, produced high class snooker in which Sajjad succeeded in overcoming a spirited comeback from his experienced opponent. 

Sajjad, who had toppled the defending champion and top seed Asjad Iqbal in the semifinals less than 24 hours ago, started off from where he had left the previous evening. He was quickly into 4-0 lead, looking in total command of the situation. 

After pocketing the opening frame without too much hassle, he registered a superb break of 102 in the second frame and followed it up with another one of 63 in the very next frame. He was tested slightly in the fourth frame which he also won convincingly in the end. 

Imran, having been engaged in a marathon duel with sixth seed Abdul Sattar in the semifinal the other day, opened his account by winning the fifth frame and made it 2-4 by also wrapping up the next one. 

Sajjad was not overawed by the big occasion and he relied heavily on his break-building ability which saw him win the next three frames on a trot. He compiled breaks of 83, 65 and 60 in successive frames to move 7-2 up and just a single frame away from title win. 

Battling for survival, Imran also showed his pedigree by winning three frames in succession to reduce the deficit to just two frames. He followed up his break of 53 in the 11th frame with one of 93 in the 12th frame to make it 5-7. At this point Imran needed to continue winning three more frames while Sajjad’s requirement was just one. 

The momentum was with the former and he possessed the capacity to stage to turn it around, having done it before. Sajjad was alive to the situation and he didn’t let Imran repeat the heroics of yesteryears. The highly gifted youngster from Sargodha sealed the fate of the match by snatching the 12th frame. But there was consolation for the vastly experienced Imran to have gone down fighting after a nightmarish start to the game.

readmore »»

Shahid Afridi inaugurates HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament

Pakistan News & Features Services

Shahid Afridi, the newly appointed Pakistan T20 skipper and an explosive all-rounder, inaugurated the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 in a colourful ceremony at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 18. 

More than 500 students from the participating schools were present with their placards in the inaugration ceremony which was also attended by Younis Khan, an ex-Pakistan captain and a prolific top-order batsman, and former cricketers, Jalaluddin and Abdul Raquib. 

Aman Aziz Siddiqui, Head of Strategy & Investment, HBL, in his brief speech, announced that his bank will be making the Inter-Schools tournament a national event with the collaboration of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). A large number of personnel from HBL’s marketing department were also in attendance. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, welcomed the initiative of HBL and looked forward to making the Inter-Schools competition a nationwide annual event. He mentioned that it’s for the seventh time when the PVCA is organizing an Inter-Schools tournament in Karachi. 

Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan, proud products of HBL, mingled with the players and officials of the participating teams besides giving them a brief motivational talk. In their brief address, they emphasized on the importance of discipline in the game. 

The inauguration ceremony was covered extensively by the electronic media and the presence of television cameras and crew looked like dream come true occasion for the participating school students who were already thrilled by rubbing shoulders with two of the greatest cricketers of the world.

readmore »»

Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan to attend HBL Inter-Schools inauguration

Pakistan News & Features Services

The flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi, reinstated as the Pakistan T20 skipper, and the majestic Younis Khan, a prolific batsman and former Pakistan captain, will be attending the inauguration ceremony of HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 18. 

Aman Aziz Siddiqui, Head of Strategy & Investment, HBL, will be the chief guest in the inaugural ceremony to be presided over by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). 

The colourful opening ceremony, in which the participants of all the schools will be taking part with their placards, is scheduled to start at 9 am and conclude at 9.45 am. It will be followed by the inaugural match between St Paul High School and Rangers Public School. 

Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan, both of whom are proud products of HBL, will be exchanging pleasantries with the players and officials of the participating teams besides giving them a brief motivational talk. Aman Sports will be extending technical support during the course of the tournament in which the participating teams have been divided equally in eight groups. 

A total of 32 outfits, including two teams selected by HBL on the basis of open trials have entered the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 being organized by the PVCA.

A total of 55 matches will be played over a period of nearly two and a half months. At the end of the league matches, the leaders of all the eight groups will qualify for the knockout stage of the competition, starting with the quarter-finals. The final is due to be played at the Karachi Gymkhana on November 27. 

Besides the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground, the matches will be played at the Naya Nazimbabad Hussain Lawai Stadium, NBP Sports Complex, TMC, KCCA Stadium and SKBZ. 

This is the seventh time when the PVCA will be organizing an Inter-Schools tournament in Karachi. The HBL management has agreed to look into the possibilities of transforming the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket into an annual event with the collaboration of the PVCA. 

The tournament organizing committee is being headed by Alamgir Ahmed with Amjad Islam, Visal Ansari, Hasnain Bokhari and Syed Farrukh Manzoor being its members. Brig Salahuddin heads the disciplinary committee whose other members are Iqbal Umar and Jalaluddin. 

The players born on or after September 1, 1997 will be eligible to take part in the tournament and only those teams/players approved by the PVCA will be allowed to take the field. All the matches will be 40-overs-a-side contest with the reporting time being 9.15 am and the match starting time to be 10 am.

readmore »»

HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament to commence on Sept 18

Pakistan News & Features Services

A total of 32 outfits will be taking part in the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). 

The details about the tournament, to be spread over nearly two and half months, were unveiled in a media briefing by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, and Aman Aziz Siddiqui, Head of Strategy & Investment, HBL, at the Karachi Gymkhana on September 15. 

The top functionaries of the PVCA, Nadeem Omar, Brig Salahuddin and Iqbal Umar, were also present on the occasion, along with the chief of the HBL Sports Division, Abdul Raquib, the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, and the Head of the Aman Sports, Khwaja Obaid Ilyas. Besides the media corps, the representatives of the participating schools also attended the briefing.

It was announced that former Pakistan captains, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi, both of whom are employed by HBL, will be making in an appearance in the tournament’s opening ceremony at the Karachi Gymkhana on September 18. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, in his speech, highlighted the role of the PVCA in the promotion of cricket at the grassroots level, as the association is holding seventh edition of the Inter-School Tournament in Karachi . 

“We had launched the Inter-Schools cricket on the pattern of the Ruby Shield, which used to be the premier tournament of its kind and it’s still talked about with great awe. We have visualized something similar and we need supporters like HBL to join hands with us in making it an annual event,” he observed. 

“By holding the Inter-Schools tournaments we have continually dispelled the impression that the PVCA was catering to the needs of the veteran cricketers only. This tournament is another strong reminder that we do care for the youngsters of the society as well,” Fawad Ijaz Khan emphasized. 

Aman Aziz Siddiqui, Head of Strategy & Investment, HBL, remarked that his institution took pride in having been in the forefront in the development of sports over the years and they looked forward to playing their role as a responsible corporate citizen. 

He agreed to look into the possibilities of transforming the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket into an annual event besides spreading it to other parts of the country as the idea was to promote the game from the grassroots level. 

“Sports remains an integral part of education and we desire to play a proactive role in supporting activities aimed at facilitating the youngsters. Cricket and football are the two games we are concentrating on at the moment,” he added. 

The participating teams have been divided equally in eight groups. The Group A comprises of HBL Schoolboys Whites, Behbud Boys Secondary School , Ladybird Grammar School and Foundation Public School while the Group B contains Habib Public School , Army Public School , Fatimiyah Boys School and Beaconhouse School PECHS. 

The Group C features Kamran Public School , Aga Khan Higher Secondary School , Falconhouse Grammar School and Azeem Academy while the Group D is composed of Fahad Academy , New Standard Grammar School, Zeeshan Public School and Qadri Model School.

The quartet of St Patrick’s High School, Karachi Grammar School , Civil Aviation Authority School and Beaconhouse School North Nazimabad constitute the Group E while the Group F has the presence of St Paul ’s High School, Karachi Public School, Happy Home School and Rangers Public School . 

The Group G includes Fahim School System, Ebrahim Ali Bhai School , Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School and Khan Secondary while the contestants in the Group H are HBL Schoolboys Greens, New Oxford Grammar School, The City School and Metropolitan Academy. 

At the end of the league matches, the leaders of all the eight groups will be advancing to the knockout stage of the competition, starting with the quarter-finals. Both the semifinals as well as the final will be telecast live. The final will be played at the Karachi Gymkhana on November 27.

readmore »»

Pakistan Customs declare 2015 as Year of Jalaluddin

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Customs has decided to celebrate 2015 as the tribute year to Jalaluddin, a former Test bowler, in recognition of his services as a player, a coach and as an administrator. 

The announcement was made by Nazim Saleem, Chief Collector Customs, (Enforcement South), during his speech in the certificate distribution ceremony of the Pace Bowler’s Training Camp, organized by the Customs Cricket Academy (CCA) which took place on the evening of September 13. 

The Chief Collector, undertaking his maiden visit to the CCA, housed in Federal-B-Area, thoroughly appreciated the efforts of his predecessors for having supported the cause of the game by developing a state-of-the-art cricket academy. 

Nazim Saleem paid glowing tribute to the deceased CCA coach, Shabbir Hussain, besides recognizing the administrators and the coaches of the academy. He lavished Jalaluddin with praise for his single-mindedness and consistency of purpose. 

“It’s quite extraordinary how he has worked for the development of the players in the country. Let us acknowledge the efforts of Head Coach Jalaluddin for having established the CCA as the leading academy of the country. We think it’s the right time to honour Jalaluddin on his meritorious services for cricket and players development. We will hold quite a few events to pay tribute to Jalaluddin such as T-20 Cricket Match, grand gala dinner and a seminar on coaching during the coming year (2015),” the Chief Collector stated. 

He advised the management of the CCA to install a sculpture of Khalil Masood, a former collector and the founder of the academy, at the entrance to the ground in recognition of his marvellous deeds. 

Jalaluddin, in his speech, highlighted the salient features of the Pace Bowler’s Training Programme, which was organized to give an opportunity to the young and upcoming pace bowlers having talent and desiring to develop themselves as quality bowlers. He described pace bowling as a combination of talent, science and art. 

“The programme, sponsored by Omar Associates, has proved that there is no dearth of pace bowlers in Karachi. Ther event has been successful one as few of them performed well at the district level and were selected for first time for region,” the former Test fast bowler remarked. 

“Maham Tariq, the only girl who was selected for the camp, showed great improvement during the training programme and she was rewarded for his great effort by picking her for Pakistan’s women cricket team for the tour of Australia. She only had participated at district level before coming here,” Jalaluddin, who performed the first hat-trick in One-day Internationals, added. 

Meanwhile Basit Ali was declared the best bowler of the camp, Nawaz Khan was adjudged as the best learner, Abdullah Aziz was decorated as the best young bowler and Maham Tariq was recognized as the find of the camp.

readmore »»

Jahangir Moghul considers Grand Master Ashraf Tai as Bruce Lee of Pakistan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Jahangir Moghul, a renowned social figure and philanthropist, has compared Pakistan’s most famous Grand Master Mohammad Ashraf Tai to Bruce Lee, the legendary Hong Kong American martial artist and martial arts instructor. 

“Grand Master Ashraf Tai has remained an iconic figure throughout the country for decades and his students and trainees have taken bando karate, introduced in Pakistan by him in 1971, to different corners of the world. He commands the same kind of respect in Pakistan which Bruce Lee had earned for his exploits in martial arts,” Jahangir Moghul, elected as District Governor of Rotary International for the year 2015-16, remarked during his recent visit to the headquarters of Tai’s Karate Centre, housed at the KGA Gymkhana in Karachi. 

He has also proposed Lifetime Achievement Award for the legendary martial artist, Grand Master Ashraf Tai, in recognition of his meritorious services in the promotion of karate. 

Credited to have introduced bando karate, the Burmese style of martial arts, in Pakistan way back in 1971, Grand Master Ashraf Tai earned worldwide fame with his accomplishments against the top-notchers of the sport. 

Jahangir Moghul, who has been proactively involved in community service and social work over a number of years, besides doing justice to his various portfolios in the managing committees of the Karachi Gymkhana, has remained an ardent supporter of Grand Master Ashraf Tai. 

“He’s an icon of marial arts and a role model for the youngsters of the country. It has been a privilege visiting the Tai’s Karate Centre and watching the Grand Master in action imparting training to the keen learners of different age-groups. It’s quite extraordinary that he has not lost the intensity despite the bouts of illness during the last couple of years. Let’s pray for his long life with immaculate health,” Jahangir Moghul observed. 

“Grand Master Ashraf Tai is a deserved winner of the Pride of Performance Award which was bestowed upon him by the President of Pakistan more than a decade time. Heroes like him need to be recognized again and again. He should be considered for a Life Achievement Award at the highest level now,” Jahangir Moghul reckoned. 

He recalled that Grand Master Ashraf Tai had created a sensation by overpowering Stanley Michael of Malaysia in the final of the Afro-Asia Championship in 1978 and he confirmed his superiority in the continent by outwitting Japan 's Koha Yash a year later. 

It may be recalled that Grand Master Ashraf Tai is also credited to have founded the Pakistan Karate Federation (PKF) and succeeded in having the body affiliated to the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) as well as the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).  Having received numerous awards in various continents of the world during his illustrious career, he was declared the International Grand Master of the Year in 2000 by an institution based in the United States . 

The Tai's Bando Karate Centre has trained thousands of martial artists. The branches of his centres have not only been functioning with great success all over the country but the students trained by him have also been operating the centres named after him in quite a few countries like the United States of America (USA), England, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, France, Holland and Bangladesh. 

Grand Master Ashraf Tai holds the distinction of claiming the highest degree (8th Dan) in the martial arts history of the country. Only a handful of martial artists have matched his feat worldwide. He had started karate at the age of nine with his master Lee Phow Shin while he received black belt at the age of 16. He started participating in a lot of local tournaments, most of which were professional. 

Less than a year after migrating to Karachi from Chittagong in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1970, he started the first-ever martial arts school in Pakistan by the name of Tai’s Karate Centre which was located at the Hill Park. He then shifted the centre to its present premises at the KGA Gymkhana. 

The Tai’s Karate Centre expanded gradually. In the beginning when he started teaching karate at the Hill Park, there are hardly six to seven students and the Grand Master had to persuade people to come and learn karate. The students trained by him spread the word around in a few years time the growth became phenomenal and the rest is history.

readmore »»

Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup scales greater heights in second edition

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The recently held second edition of the Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup 2014 turned out to be a standout event of Karachi. The picturesque Lawai Stadium, illuminated with stunning floodlights, remained the talk of the town with the live telecast of the knockout games for seven nights running. 

Everything about the tournament, spread over a month or so, was near perfect. The facilities at the ground were truly exceptional. It was quite extraordinary how they managed to save the pitch when it rained heavily before the start of the one of the semifinals. 

There were fears that the match might have to be postponed because the rain was so heavy. But the pitch had been so nicely protected that it remained dry when the covers were taken off much to the amusement of the players and the officials. It was nothing short of a miracle that 12-overs-a-side contest was still made possible shortly at the end of the heavy downpour. 

There were apprehensions in some minds about the location of the ground but, as Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, had so emphatically stated during the media launch of the event at the Karachi Gymkhana a couple of days before the start of the tournament, there was nothing to worry about when approaching the ground or leaving it. 

The event progressed very smoothly indeed and not a single untoward incident was reported during 31 nights of cricket action. There was no issue of law and order situation in the area during the entire length of the tournament. 

All the matches were played under floodlights and there was tremendous excitement at the ground which built an atmosphere that’s rarely found at other venues of Karachi these days. The dream of establishing the Lawai Stadium in Naya Nazimabad as a model cricket ground is very much on the way to fulfillment. 

It has already created waves in a short span of time and it seems a matter of time when high-profile matches will be taking place at this marvellous venue. The 2nd Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup was yet another feather in the cap of the promoters of the massive housing scheme, who consider cricket as the paramount source of binding the various sections of the society. 

It went to the credit of the management of the corporation to have arranged for the live telecast of the knockout matches of the 2nd Peace Cup which was a great value addition for the tournament itself. It was quite a remarkable achievement to have done it so quickly. Other local tournaments have also been televised in the recent past but it had taken ages for them to do so. 

The Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup, launched only last year, was on air in only its second edition. The presence of the high-ranking government officials, including Commissioner Karachi, Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, and Advisor on Sports to Sindh Chief Minister, Adil Siddiqui, besides some top businessmen of the country was a testimonial to the success of the tournament. 

Mohammad Iqbal, Director Sports, Naya Nazimabad, played the pivotal role in making the tournament a resounding success. The former first-class cricketer, who also has vast experience of cricket administration, worked with missionary zeal almost round the clock to ensure that everything remained in order. 

The success of the 2nd Peace Cup should pave the way for further glories for the Lawai Stadium which is expected to host matches of the national cricket tournaments, organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as early as the upcoming season. The Lawai Stadium, named after Hussain Lawai, a famous banker, seems set to become one of the most sought-after cricket grounds of the country.

readmore »»