Syed Khalid Mahmood Date of Birth: Education: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil):

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2 Syed Khalid Mahmood Date of Birth: 18 November 1963 (Scorpio) Education: Cadet College Petaro, Delhi College Karachi Bachelor of Engineering (Civil): NED University, Karachi Contributed to The Cricketer Pakistan, Cricket World Quarterly and World of Cricket since Joined the Frontier Post as a sports reporter at the Karachi Bureau in September After a brief stint with the Pakistan Hockey as editor in 1990 he joined The News, owned by the Jang Group of Newspapers in Karachi, before its launch in February Focus on World Cup was his first book published on the eve of the 1987 Cricket World Cup. Then he authored The Caribbean Challenge, Pakistanís Triumph in World Cup 1992, Pakistan: The Land of World Champions, Pakistanís Sports Greats, So Near Yet So Far, Spotlight on World Cup 2003, Top of the Charts, Mission Caribbean, Cricket Fever and Asian Glory.

3 REFLECTIONS-4 A collectionof Articles on Sports Syed Khalid Mahmood Foreword by Ali Asghar Valika Published by Jumbo Publishing

4 Dedicated to my daughters Javeria & Beenish Copyright Syed Khalid Mahmood ISBN: st Edition: 2018 Price in Pakistan: Rs. 1,000 Cover Design: Irfan Mubashir Inside Layout: Adeel Ahmed Published by Jumbo Publishing Suite # 15, Ground Floor, Habib Chamber, ST-12, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, University Road, Karachi-75300, Pakistan Phones: , Fax: Web: jumbopublishing@yahoo.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publishers and the copyright holder. 4 REFLECTIONS-4

5 Foreword The role of media in promoting sports in particular in Pakistan has been truly outstanding. I can say it by experience and with absolute conviction that the print as well as the electronic media have done wonders in boosting sports. Snooker might not have become so much popular in Pakistan in such quick time without the support we received from the media community. Thanks to the media, now snooker is played and followed in every nook and corner of the country. The successful cueists like Muhammad Yousuf, Saleh Muhammad, Farhan Mirza, Naveen Perwani, Imran Shahzad, Muhammad Sajjad, Muhammad Asif, Hamza Akbar and others became household names in Pakistan. I have kept declaring it openly and at times vociferously that the media has been extremely generous in promoting snooker ever since we had revived it in the middle of 1980s. Syed Khalid Mahmood sits right on top as far as writing, reporting and analyzing on snooker is concerned. He has done it consistently for nearly three decades now. He has written extensively on snooker. The articles on his blog have helped in spreading the word in territories where Pakistani newspapers or televisions channels were not accessible. The publication of his blog articles by means of Reflections Series is simply an icing on the cake. Ali Asghar Valika Chairman, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association Karachi. REFLECTIONS-4 5

6 Contents Hockey legend Anwar Ahmad Khan recuperating after freak accident...8 Veteran sports journalist Afaq Ahmad is no more...10 Ashraf Tai wins another bout against illness...12 Jubilee Insurance vow to further strengthen grassroots snooker...14 Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib revive Istanbul memories...16 UK dominance in Pakistan Day bridge...18 Richly deserved Lifetime Achievement Award for Rashid-ul-Ghazi...20 Record purse disbursed in Pakistan Day bridge...21 Shahram's Snooker Lounge inaugurated in Islamabad with fanfare...23 Anwar Ahmad Khan: The Gentleman Olympian is no more...25 Reinstated Zaka Ashraf needs time to deliver...27 Musical chair hurting Pakistan cricket...29 Omar Associates sponsor Karachi Gymkhana s Ramazan Cricket Festival Omar Cricket Club retain KG Festival tourney...32 Omar Cricket Club clinch Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup for second year running...33 Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup scales greater heights in its second edition...34 Tapal Cricket Club retain Aga Khan Gymkhana Ramazan Trophy...35 India s participation boosts twin Asian events in Pakistan...36 Highly educated Shahram Changezi brings grace to snooker arena...38 Brilliant Faisal Khan leads India s triumph in Jubilee Insurance Asian Team Event...40 Jahangir Moghul considers Grand Master Ashraf Tai as Bruce Lee of Pakistan...42 Pakistan Customs declare 2015 as Year of Jalaluddin...44 Saad-ul-Haq: Shane Warne in the making?...46 Jalaluddin pledges for lifetime affair with cricket...48 Consistent policies, eagle-eyed selection vital for Pakistan cricket: Anwar-ul-Haq REFLECTIONS-4

7 Contents Naya Nazimabad Football Stadium set to become next big thing...52 Pakistan Bridge Federation rewards victorious outfits...54 CCA revives Inter-Academy Cricket League...56 Nadeem Omar honours ICC President...58 Nadeem Omar inaugurates KG Festival, stresses on fair play...60 Tai s Karate Centre hosts Grand Iftar reception...62 SNGPL clinch Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup...64 Valika welcomes Pulsirivong s induction into world snooker Hall of Fame...66 Anwar-ul-Haq lauds CCA, desires coaching role for Jalaluddin at national level...68 Little Master Hanif Mohammad to live in hearts of cricket fraternity...70 Beaconhouse School start powerfully after Moin Khan inaugurates Omar Trophy...72 Jawed Karim leads Pakistan snooker contingent to Thailand...74 Federal sports authorities assure support to PBSA...76 Youth development holds key to US cricket future: Naeem-ul-Haq...78 Master stroke by Quetta Gladiators...80 Golden era of Pakistan snooker ends with Alamgir Shaikh s tenure...82 Quetta Gladiators sign title sponsorship deal with Jubilee Life...83 Dr. Minhaj Qidwai elected new KBA President...84 Archery comes alive with Ziauddin Valika Memorial Tournament...85 KG Ramazan Festival s prizemoney enhanced...87 Engr Anwer Ali desires to take AIT sports to top of the tree...88 Alamgir Shaikh to represent ACBS in IBSF Board...90 Larkana wins Sindh Judo Championship VFCC proceed to KL with high hopes of winning Titan s Cup...93 Changing face of Younis Khan the great...96 REFLECTIONS-4 7

8 Hockey legend Anwar Ahmad Khan recuperating after freak accident January 17, 2014 The condition of the 80-year-old hockey legend, Anwar Ahmad Khan, has improved following a freak accident at his house a couple of weeks. He has been discharged from the hospital. His son Dr. Adnan Anwar, who is himself a vastly experienced physician, revealed that the former Pakistan captain, regarded as the greatest-ever centre-half to have graced the hockey arena, has had an extended stay at the hospital due to the various complications caused by his sudden collapse while having shower. Quite a few bones of his have been damaged as he appeared to have slipped in the portion right below the shower. The lungs have been disturbed and there are marks of swelling on his head as well. Various tests are being carried out and that s why he had more than one week stay at the hospital. he disclosed. The great Olympian remained in great spirits and he didn't even mind meeting friends and acquaintances who came to visit him in his room of Karachi s leading private hospital which is a stone s throw away from his residence. I have had numerous injuries during my playing career but this one looks little serious. As I do have the knack of seeing off tough moments, I am confident that, with the prayers and best wishes of family members and friends, I will be able to regain my composure soon, Anwar Ahmad Khan remarked in a confident manner but his voice choked momentarily. Although he was surrounded by a team of doctors, the hockey memories were still shaking his mind and he was able to recall the breaking of his teeth during an Asian Games encounter against Korea in Trust me I had returned to the field after taking the first-aid and played the rest of the match to ensure that no goal was scored against Pakistan. I also played the following game against India and didn t let them score a single game. And we won the gold medal due to better goal average than India, he recalled with pride in his eyes. His family members felt greatly relieved and her daughter, Dr Shahneela, described the recovery as a new lease of life. The manner in which he was brought to the hospital on January 2 had really scared us. He was in such critical condition after the collapse that we were not even sure if he would be able to reach here. Thanks God he responded to the treatment and his condition started improving, she observed. REFLECTIONS-4 8

9 As the whole nation knows my father is a brave man. He is never short of will power. We are hoping and praying for his quick recovery, she added. The great Anwar Ahmad Khan, who was instrumental in earning as many as five medals for the country in the Olympic Games and Asian Games from 1956 to 1964, has had health issues during the last few years in particular. His eyes had to be operated upon while he is also suffering from diabetes. 9 REFLECTIONS-4

10 Veteran sports journalist Afaq Ahmad is no more January 21, 2014 Writing the obituary or a condolence note of someone who has been a dear colleague for decades is one of the most painful tasks to perform. Yet it s a moral, if not necessarily official, duty of the surviving members of the fraternity to remember the deceased. Afaq Ahmad, who began his career has a sports journalist and rose to the position of the News Editor of a famous daily, breathed his last, after a protracted illness, in his hometown Karachi on January 11. He was believed to be over 70. Unfortunately the news of his death didn't find its way in the media circles and the only place where he was provided the due space was none other than Daily News for whom he had worked for a number of years before his retirement in the capacity of the News Editor in Afaq Ahmad was suffering from the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) for about three years. He was admitted to a private hospital in a critical condition on the morning of January 11 and he passed away later in the day. His funeral prayer was offered the following day after Namaz-e-Asr at the Jaamia Masjid in Paposh Nagar, Nazimabad Number 5, and he was laid to rest in the Paposh Nagar graveyard. He had lived in Nazamabad for a number of years. He has left behind two children, a son and a daughter. His wife, an educationist, had expired about a year ago. His son, Uzair Afaq, has played competitive cricket in Karachi before relocating in England where he continued his passion with the sport while pursuing higher education. Afaq Ahmad remained associated with the media industry for over four decades. He had started his career as crime reporter in Morning News. He later joined Daily News, the largest circulated evening newspaper of the country, as a Sports Reporter where he was promoted to the post of the Sports Editor before being finally appointed the News Editor, a position he retained until his retirement. Upon retirement from Daily News, he had a stint at Daily Business Recorder for a few years. He continued visiting the Karachi Press Club occasionally where he was able to touch base with many of his colleagues and contemporaries. The death of Afaq Ahmad is another saddening blow to the local sports circles, having already lost the personalities like Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, Munir Hussain, Ahmed Mustafa, Razaullah Khan, Hasib Ahsan and Shamsuzzaman during the course of one year or so. REFLECTIONS-4 10

11 Afaq Ahmad, who was quite popular in the sporting arena in particular, played his role admirably in the promotion of sports. The sight of the weekly colourful sports pages of Daily News, which were also rich in content, pleased many eyes. The pages were usually punctuated with high quality action photographs which also helped in increasing the circulation of the newspaper. 11 REFLECTIONS-4

12 Ashraf Tai wins another bout against illness Grand Master Mohammad Ashraf Tai, acclaimed as the most famous martial artist of the country, has survived another bout of critical illness, second time in less than a year. He has been discharged from the hospital, after being there for a couple of weeks. Yes indeed it was another close call and I consider myself fortunate enough to have recovered again. I have a history of diabetic for the last many years but the sugar level had gone down to alarmingly low level a couple of weeks ago and the doctors had to work overtime to stabilize it, Ashraf Tai disclosed in a recent interview in Karachi. I am feeling better now and it s a great relief to return home after being two weeks in hospital. The doctors, however, have not allowed me to resume training until my condition improved further, he added. Not very long ago, last March to be precise, the Grand Master had collapsed at the international headquarters of the Tai s Karate Centre, located on Karachi s busy M A Jinnah Road, and was rushed to a hospital in a precarious condition. His kidneys were badly affected when his blood pressure dropped to the dangerous levels as he remained in intensive care unit for quite a few days before being finally discharged after five weeks. January 29, 2014 At the strength of his awesome will power and continuous medical treatment he had recuperated steadily and returned to the karate centre he had founded more than four decades ago. His return was warmly greeted by the trainees and their parents who didn't believe their eyes of watching the Grand Master perform again, after having learnt and heard all sorts of stories during his prolonged stay at the hospital. Ashraf Tai himself was in very high spirits at having made a comeback at his own centre after being away for more than six weeks. He trained his students in the usual enthusiastic style of his in the two-hour classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Now another comeback awaits him at the REFLECTIONS-4 12

13 Tai s Karate Centre. In fact it was quite a miraculous comeback after the serious illness last year. Those having visited him in extreme trauma at the ICU of the Liaquat National Hospital were mighty relieved at watching him train his students with the same intensity and passion at his Tai s Karate Centre. promoting martial arts across the country. President of Pakistan's Pride of Performance winner Ashraf Tai has been hailed and recognized for having played the lead role in launching and He had become the pioneer martial arts teacher in Pakistan when he introduced bando karate in early 1970s, having emigrated from Burma. He also had a stint in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) before coming over to Karachi. He started coaching a group of six students at the Hill Park. As the number of young karate enthusiasts kept growing, he moved to the KGA Gymkhana at M A Jinnah Road where the centre is still housed. 13 REFLECTIONS-4

14 Jubilee Insurance vow to further strengthen grassroots snooker February 14, 2014 The twin Jubilee Insurance companies, Jubilee General Insurance and Jubilee Life Insurance, have renewed the pledge to continue supporting the cause of snooker and they have urged for the creation of an Under-15 circuit at the national level. Now the time has come for the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) to mobilize their resources to start Under-15 tournaments which could bring about a revolution of sorts at the grassroots level. It s about time to rope in the promising athletes early in their teens and groom them for the future, and Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee General Insurance, remarked during a media briefing at the Karachi Gymkhana on February 13. The junior circuit has been playing a crucial role in boosting the Pakistan snooker. It has provided the platform to the talented youngsters and they have grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Most of the top cueists of the country are young which augurs very well for the future of the sport, Tahir Ahmed added. The juniors hold the key to Pakistan s future. Let s provide them the opportunities and the facilities they deserve to move forward, he suggested. The PBSA President, Alamgir Shaikh, who was recently elected unopposed as the Senior Vice President of the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS), agreed to the suggestion of the major sponsors of snooker in Pakistan and vowed to find ways and means to launch an Under-15 circuit in the near future. He, however, remained more concerned about the continued delay in the release of funds by the government and he didn t rule the possibility of staging a sit-in in REFLECTIONS-4 14

15 the federal capital later this month if the promises were not fulfilled by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC). Meanwhile Mohsin Amin will defend his title in the Jubilee Insurance 6th National Junior (Under-21) Snooker Championship 2014 which will be getting underway at the Movenpick Hotel Arcade in Karachi on February 15. Alongwith the four provinces, Islamabad will also be represented in the latest edition of the National Junior Championship which offers prize money of Rs 105,000 with the winner to collect Rs 40,000 and the runner-up to receive Rs 20,000. Both the losing semifinalists will be getting Rs 10,000 each while the losing quarterfinalists will be compensated with Rs 5,000 each and the highest break of the competition also carries a cash reward of Rs 5,000. The tournament, whose winner and runner-up will earn the right to represent the country in the 15th Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship 2014 due to be staged at Mohali, India, in April, will be contested by a total of 34 junior cueists from all over the country, having qualified for the event by virtue of their outstanding performance in their respective provincial cups held recently. It was revealed that Mohammad Majid Ali, who ended runner-up in the last edition of the Asian Junior Championship, has been granted direct entry which has allowed Pakistan to field three, instead of two, cueists in this year s continental event. 15 REFLECTIONS-4

16 Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib revive Istanbul memories March 22, 2014 Khurshid Hadi and Kemal Shoaib, two of the leading exponents of bridge in the country, reproduced their sensational form of the 2004 World Olympiad in Istanbul during the pairs contest of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Championships held at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, on March 21. Known and respected for their cool-headedness, calmness, intelligence and indepth knowledge about the sport, they dominated the first couple of sessions winning both of them convincingly. But they somehow faltered in the third and final session to slip to the sixth position. According to the final results declared by the organizers, Ghufran Ashraf-Shahab Khan were declared winners of the pairs with their average score of 61.50% while Brian Senior-Sandra Penfold ended runners-up with the score of 59.98%, edging out Anwar Sultan-Khalid Manzoor stood third with 59.97%. The pair of Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Hasan Jawwad claimed the fourth slot with 57.21% while Khurshid Hadi-Kemal Shoaib had to be content with the sixth place as their average score was worked as 57.12%. Ali Hai-Zia Hai (56.66%), Arssalan Mansoor-Mudassar Rahim (56.40%), Ziaullag Baig-Hamid Mohiuddin (56.36%) and Jason Hackett-Justin Hackett (56.14%) shared the next four positions while Anwar Kazilbash-Tanvir Mazahir (55.57%) and Masood Mazhar-Mirza Shauq Hussain (55.37%) finished 11th and 12th respectively. As far as the results of the individual sessions were concerned, Khurshid Hadi- Kemal Shoaib emerged triumphant in the first session. Playing from the North-South direction, they aggregated 60.28% points to outwit their closest challengers, Shahin Iqbal-Hasan Akhtar Zaidi (60.17%), Brian Senior- Sandra Penfold (60.00%), Afzal Sheikh-Iqbal Siddiqui (59.47%) and A.C Shamim- Safdar Mahmood (58.93%). A.K Bhurgri-Mohammad Zubair led the table from the other direction in the first session with their score of 61.69% with Anis-ur-Rehman-Zeenat Azwer (61.61%), Mubashir Puri-Junaid Said (57.52%), Vikram Dhar-Hussain Adamali (56.49%) and Ahsan J Qureshi-Ghias Malick (56.22%) claiming the next four positions. Khurshid Hadi-Kemal Shoaib extended their glorious form into the second session which they won by securing a score of 62.34% with Ranada-Aida (61.58%), A.C Shamim-Safdar Mahmood (60.86%), Tanlu Guo-Rhenda Zhang (59.77%) and Ishrat Hussain-Shamim (59.00%) sharing the other top four slots. REFLECTIONS-4 16

17 Afzal Shaikh-Iqbal Siddiqui (63.78%) led the table from the East-West direction in the second session and they were followed by Shuxia Yang-Teng Ning (58.48%), Sarfaraz Ahmed-Nasim Arzoo (58.38%), Arssalan Mansoor-Mudassar Rahim (58.31%) and Minhaj Kidwai-Anwar Kidwai (56.89%). There were as many as 92 pairs contesting event, spread over three rounds of 32 boards each. It offered a prize money of US $3,000, with the winners to receive a handsome cash award of US $1,700 in the presentation ceremony to be held on the Pakistan Day (March 23). The participation of some of the top players from China, England, Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also heralded the return of international bridge in Karachi after a gap of 17 years. The event is being organized jointly by the Mind Sport Association of Pakistan (MSAP) and the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF). 17 REFLECTIONS-4

18 UK dominance in Pakistan Day bridge March 24, 2014 The brilliance of the stars from the United Kingdom, who played under the banner of UK-2 and Barmy Army, shared the top two positions in the team event of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Championships which concluded at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi, on March 23. Besides the UK there were foreign participants from China, Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well in the three-day festival organized jointly by the Mind Sport Association of Pakistan (MSAP) and the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF). UK-2, comprising of Jason Hackett, Justin Hackett, Mike Bell and Alex Hydes, continued to dominate their rivals and their eventual aggregate of Victory Points (VPs), earned them the top slot with ease and grace. Barmy Army, the other participating team from the UK and containing Sendra Penfold, Edward Jones, Thomas Paske and Brain Senior, ended runners-up with their tally of VPs. Talpur, featuring Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, Parvez Mirza, Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Syed Hasan Jawwad, were the leaders among the teams fielded by Pakistan. They finished third overall with their score of VPs while Miran, having Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib, Abdul Rehman Allana, Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan, Tahir Masood and Javed Ahmed, finished fourth with VPs. The fifth position was claimed by Dynamite, represented by Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Naseem Arzoo, Syed Hussain Jaffar, Mohammad Ashraf Kothari, Anwar Gheewala and Afzal Ahmed Sheikh, who aggregated VPs. KG-1, having E U Khawaja, Usman Ansari, Nasir Wahab, Sattar Cochinwala and Mansoor Habib, came a close sixth with VPs while China-2, containing Limin Wang, Hua Liang, Huizhong Zhao, Zhiwei Ding, Rhenda Zhang and Tianlu Guo, had to settle with the seventh slot with their tally of VPs. Avengers, fielding Qasim Rahim Khan, Ali Ahmed, Hamza Liaqat and Mohammad Salman Qasim, finished eighth with VPs, Ahsan, comprising of Ahsan Zahir Rizvi, Nasir Raza Khan, Ghulam Mohammad, Anis-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Ghufran Ashraf and Shahab Latif Khan, were placed ninth wither tally of VPs and Zara, having fielded Zara Randa, Mays, Aida, Samar Alrawashde, Mohammad Hikal and Sakhar, were placed 10th with VPs. A total of 35 teams, seven of them from abroad, took part in the event which was spread over 10 rounds. The first five rounds were played on March 22 while the remaining five rounds were contested the following day. The first round winners were Barny Army, UK-2, Hai, Thread & Needles, Miran, Sindh Bilal, Zara, Romex, Karachi Aces, Dynamite, KG-1, Ahsan, China-2, Izzat Khalil, Talpur, Blue Chips and Aces with Trail Blazers having been given a bye. Aces, UK-2, Thread & Needles, Talpur, Miran, Romex, Barny Army, Zara, Izzat Khalil, Avengers, Puri Estate, Star Bidders, Masood IV, Softel, Dynamo, Sabres and Turkey registered wins in the second round with Foxy given a bye. UK-2, Barny Army, Talpur, China-2, Sindh Bilal, Puri Estate, Turkey, Avengers, Dynamo, Ahsan, Dynamite, Trail Blazers, Foxy, Holdem and Saya defeated their REFLECTIONS-4 18

19 respective opponents in the third round in which B-Team had a bye. A couple of matches also ended in a draw in this particular round. Thread & Needles played out a draw against Aces while Star Bidders and Hai were also engaged in a drawn encounter. There were massive victories for Data Steel and Masood IV in the fourth round as they whipped B-Team and Softel respectively. UK-2, Talpur, Miran, Romex, Sindh Bilal, China-2, Zara, Avengers, Star Bidders, Hai, Trail Blazers, Saya, Karachi Aces, Lahore and Marathon also prevailed over their respective rivals while Inbox had a bye in the fourth round. The victorious teams in the fifth round were UK-2, Sindh Bilal, Miran, China-2, Zara, Avengers, Masood IV, Dynamite, Puri Estate, Ahsan, Kohat Cement, Karachi Aces, KG-1, Holdem, China, Inbox and Soften with Sabres getting a bye. There was more success in the sixth round for UK-2, Talpur, Avengers, Thread & Needles, Dynamite, Turkey, Aces, Ahsan, Trail Blazers, Softel, Foxy, Holdem, Saya, Data Steel, Lahore and Blues with Marathon having been given a bye which the match between Miran and Barmy Army ended in a stalemate. Puri Estate, UK-2, Holdem, Hai, Inbox, China-2, Sindh Bilal, Trail Blazers, Masood IV, Barmy Army, Softel, Miran, Blue Chips, Dynamo, Marathon, Turkey and Sabres registered wins in the seventh round with Karachi Aces given a bye. KG-1, Marathon, Lahore, Trail Blazers, Masood IV, Sindh Bilal, Aces, Dynamite, Barmy Army, Foxy, Puri Estate, Star Bidders, Ahson, Inbox, Thread & Needles and UK-2 overcame their respective opponents in the eighth round in which China had a bye while Dynamo and Saya were played out a drawn encounter. The winners in the ninth round were Data Steel, KG-1, Foxy, Hai, Miran,Talpur, Masood IV, Marathon, Aces, Avengers, Inbox, Barmy Army, UK-2, Dynamo, Turkey, Karachi Aces and Sabres while Kohat had a bye. China, Dynamite, UK-2, Softel, Zara, Barmy Army, Ahsan, Avengers, Miran, Dynamo, Marathon, Talpur, China-2, Kohat Cement, KG-1, Saya and Romex signed off with victories over their respective rivals in the tenth and final round in which Blue Chips had a bye. 19 REFLECTIONS-4

20 Richly deserved Lifetime Achievement Award for Rashid-ul-Ghazi March 24, 2014 Rashid-ul-Ghazi, acclaimed as the most accomplished bridge player of the country, has been decorated with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), a recognition he richly deserved. The presentation was made to him during the Victory Banquet of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament 2014 at the Hotel Pearl Continental, Karachi, on March 23. The modest and unassuming Rashid, having won more championships than anyone in the country, was hailed as a formidable opponent with the rare abilities to achieve outstanding results on a consistent basis. His services to the game were very rightly lauded by the top officials of the PBF and the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP), who jointly organized the three-day festival. Rashid, who was also a part of the national team which won the BFAME Zonal Championship at Chennai, India, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Nawab Yousuf Talapur, President, PBF, in the presence of Khurshid Hadi, Chairman, MSAP. Tariq Rasheed Khan, Director, MSAP, and a former President of the PBF, was highly appreciative of the accomplishments of Rashid, whom he described as a role model for the bridge players of the country. REFLECTIONS-4 20

21 Record purse disbursed in Pakistan Day bridge March 24, 2014 Cash awards of no less US $20,000, a new record, were presented to the leading performers of the Pakistan Day International Bridge Tournament in what turned out to be a colourful closing ceremony of a successful event where the participation level was on the higher side. The team event was contested by as many as 35 outfits, which included some of the top players of the United Kingdom, China, Jordan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were confronted with 29 local teams from Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi Islamabad, Multan and Hyderabad who had joined hands to tackle the tricky combination of cards and solve these problems through intense mental activity required in the mind sport of bridge. Both the UK outfits came up with sterling performance to share the top two positions after two days of intense fight for supremacy. UK-2, comprising of Jason Hackett, Justin Hackett, Mike Bell and Alex Hydes, won the Nawab Yousuf Talpur Trophy besides the top prize US $7,000 by aggregating Victory Points (VPs) while Barmy Army, and containing Sendra Penfold, Edward Jones, Thomas Paske and Brain Senior, ended runners-up with their tally of VPs and they collected a purse of US $3,500. Talpur, featuring Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, Parvez Mirza, Rashid-ul-Ghazi and Syed Hasan Jawwad, were the leaders among the local teams as they finished third overall with their score of VPs, picking up a cash award of US $2,500 while Miran, having Khurshid Hadi, Kemal Shoaib, Abdul Rehman Allana, Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan, Tahir Masood and Javed Ahmed, received US $2,000 for having finished fourth with VPs. 21 REFLECTIONS-4

22 Dynamite, represented by Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Naseem Arzoo, Syed Hussain Jaffar, Mohammad Ashraf Kothari, Anwar Gheewala and Afzal Ahmed Sheikh, came fifth by having aggregated VPs which earned them US $1,500 while the sixth placed KG-1, fielding E U Khawaja, Usman Ansari, Nasir Wahab, Sattar Cochinwala and Mansoor Habib, with an aggregate of VPs, got US $500. The participation in the pairs contest was even higher with as many as 92 pairs having competed for the Data Steel Trophy which was claimed by Ghufran Ashraf- Shahab Khan (61.50%), alongwith a cash prize of US $1,000. Runners-up Brian Senior-Sandra Penfold (59.98%) received US $700 while Anwar Sultan-Khalid Manzoor (59.97%), Afzal Sheikh-Iqbal Siddiqui (59.95%), Hassan Jawwad-Rashid-ul-Ghazi (57.21%) and Khurshid Hadi-Kemal Shoaib (57.12%) shared the next four positions and they were compensated with US $500, US $400, US $250 and US $150 respectively. Special prizes of US $100 each were presented through the courtesy of Data Steel to the pairs of Ali Hai-Zia Hai and Qudsia Dossa-Rubina Hai. REFLECTIONS-4 22

23 Shahram's Snooker Lounge inaugurated in Islamabad with fanfare April 25, 2014 Former national snooker champion and Asian Games bronze medalist, Shahram Changezi, has set the ball rolling by developing a snooker lounge and academy in Islamabad, which was inaugurated recently. It was in the fitness of things that Brigadier Arif Siddiqui, who led the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) with distinction for quite a few years, was invited to do the honours in the inauguration ceremony. The former Director General of the PSB was the chief guest in the opening ceremony of the Shahram's Snooker Lounge, held with great fanfare in the presence of enthusiastic cueists and notables. Shahram Changezi, himself one of the most accomplished cueists of the country, was showered with praise for having ventured into the project in partnership with Rashid Ali, an entrepreneur. Shahram and Rashid deserve appreciation for establishing a snooker academy in the federal capital. Others should take the cue from them and also play their part in promoting the game which has earned good name 23 REFLECTIONS-4

24 for the country, Brigadier Arif Siddiqui remarked in his brief speech on the occasion. We will try to remove flaws from the techniques of the players and also provide free of cost training to school, college and university students and conduct tournaments for them, Shahram Changezi, who has remained vocal in advocating for institutional and corporate support to the game of snooker, announced. We have launched this venue with the best possible facilities which will also serve as an academy. Our mission is to promote the game and produce best players from the region, he observed. Our future plans include organizing junior snooker tournaments and twin-city snooker tournaments. We will groom the cueists for participation in in the provincial and national events. We would urge the educational institutions to avail free training/introductory camps being offered for school and college students. We will also conduct free basic training for the cueists on weekends at the Shahram's Snooker Lounge, the former national champion added. Meanwhile a tournament was held to mark the inauguration of the venue which was won by Yasir Nadeem, who defeated Rashid Ali 3-1 in the final, to clinch the trophy and cash award of Rs 10,000, presented by Fahim Anwar Khan, Secretary, Islamabad Billiards & Snooker Association (IBSA). REFLECTIONS-4 24

25 Anwar Ahmad Khan: The Gentleman Olympian is no more May 12, 2014 Penning down the obituary of someone with whom one has had cordial relations for decades is one of the most painful exercises to perform. Although I had personally known the legendary Anwar Ahmad Khan since the late 1970s when his son, Adnan (now Dr Adnan Anwar) and I were roommates at the Cadet College Petaro, it was a decade later when we started meeting regularly. Ours was a relationship based on mutual respect that s why it lasted a lifetime. We were more than 30 years apart but the age difference or rather the generation gap never came in our way and we communicated on more or less the same wavelength. The high level of understanding between us allowed me to undertake the arduous task of doing his autobiography when he expressed the desire to have the history of his eventful life documented in a book form. Despite our preoccupations, we met almost every week during the year of 1990 and the 50-odd meetings enabled to turn the dream into reality as Anwar-The Autobiography of Anwar Ahmad Khan was launched in a memorable ceremony at the poolside of a five-star hotel of Karachi in February We continued to meet regularly even after the publication of his autobiography as I found him a very caring and trustworthy person, who was always willing to help and support people in need. My last meeting with him took place at his residence, a couple of weeks before his death. Our mutual friend, Jawaid Masood Qudussi, was also present on the occasion. Neither of us imagined that it was going to be our final meeting because he was in high spirits, having recovered considerably from the freak injury he had suffered a few months ago. He was having sessions of physiotherapy at home and he was planning to host a proper dinner for us to celebrate his recovery shortly. 25 REFLECTIONS-4

26 Unfortunately his condition deteriorated alarmingly a week later and the chest infection proved fatal. He had emerged triumphant in many battles on and off the field but eventually ran out of steam and said goodbye to this mortal world on May 2. As everyone knows he was a hockey legend. Many experts rated him as the greatest-ever centre-half to have played hockey. He was an impossiblygifted player whom the opponents feared the most as getting past the Rock of Gibraltar was too big a challenge even for the most versatile forwards of his era. The hockey fans will remember him for his expertise and artistry. His contribution to the development of the Pakistan hockey was truly phenomenal. He was the pivot around whom the Pakistan team revolved in its golden era which started from 1956 when he made his Olympic debut at Melbourne. Pakistan hadn t won any medal in the previous two editions of the Olympic Games but they turned the table the silver in They won the gold in the Asian Games in 1958 at Tokyo and the Olympic gold followed a couple of years later at Rome. The hat-trick of gold was completed at Jakarta in the 1962 Asian Games. Anwar Ahmad Khan was originally chosen as the vice-captain for the 1964 Olympic Games at Tokyo but he had to lead the side following the injury to skipper Manzoor Hussain Atif at the start of the event. He took the team into straight into the final and the decision to draft in the half-fit regular skipper in the title-clash proved suicidal and Pakistan had to be content with the silver. Worse was to follow a couple of years later when he couldn t hide his frustration at the conspiracies hatched to deny him from captaining the side in the 1966 Asian Games at Bangkok. He returned home from the training camp and quit the game. His retirement cost Pakistan dearly, as the team was robbed of the Asian title too. REFLECTIONS-4 26

27 Reinstated Zaka Ashraf needs time to deliver May 20, 2014 Chaudhary Zaka Ashraf, having been reinstated as the Chairman of the Pakistan (PCB) for the second time this year, after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) annulled the committee headed by Najam Sethi, needs time to deliver at the helm of the affairs. Zaka Ashraf, during his brief tenure, had shown a lot of promise and guts to take the Pakistan cricket out of shambles but he hasn t had the time yet to implement the policies of his in letter and spirit. In fact he has been forced to devote the major chunk of his energies in counterproductive events for the past one year. He had many plans to fulfill when he became the first-ever elected chairman of the PCB last May. Less than three weeks after his election, the IHC barred him from dispensing his duties, following questions over the legality of his appointment. The IHC upheld his suspension at a subsequent hearing and ordered the PCB to name an interim chairman. Najam Sethi was named PCB's interim chairman last June and a couple of months later the Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) installed Amir Tariq Zaman Khan the PCB secretary, a role not defined in the PCB constitution, in compliance with the High Court order. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on October 15, dissolved the PCB governing board and formed a five-member interim management committee headed by Najam Sethi. Exactly three months later the High Court reinstated Zaka Ashraf as the PCB chairman. But Najam Sethi returned as the PCB chairman in less than a month time, after the patron of the board, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, 27 REFLECTIONS-4

28 dismissed Zaka Ashraf and dissolved the board of governors once again. The IHC, on May 17, has now dismissed the order issued by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on February 10 which had removed Zaka Ashraf as chairman, paving the way for his return A couple of days later the court reinstated Zaka Ashraf again, annulling the committee headed by Najam Sethi and all the decisions taken by it during its four-month term. That has been the story for the past 12 months with Zaka Ashraf getting no time whatsoever for making his contributions at the top. He seems to be having the capacity to deliver and act on fast track, if allowed to do so. One hopes that he will finally be granted some time to prove his mettle and better sense will prevail in the corridors of power. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and people close to him should now let Zaka Ashraf work rather than be engaged in politics. Meanwhile Zaka Ashraf has returned to lead at the PCB headquarters in Lahore, having watched the events from the sidelines for the past few months. "Eventually justice prevailed. I always respected the court decision, and even if it was against me I could have accepted that as well. The court judgment says that all decisions in my absence are nullified but I will review them," he was quoted as saying when assuming the charge again. REFLECTIONS-4 28

29 Musical chair hurting Pakistan cricket May 28, 2014 The musical chair at the top for the past one year has started to hurt the Pakistan cricket very seriously and there s hardly any indication to suggest that remedial measures will be taken for damage control purposes. In fact the manner in which the government has put its weight behind Najam Sethi has put doubts in the minds of the people whether there s any intention of the powers that be to steer the Pakistan cricket out of the mess. It looks quite strange, if not totally surprising, that the democratically elected government has not been prepared to let Chaudhary Zaka Ashraf work at all although he was elected to the position of the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2013 through a democratic process. Earlier this month he had been reinstated as the PCB Chairman for the second time this year, after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) annulled the committee headed by Najam Sethi, Even before Zaka Ashraf could properly step in, he was shown the door again. The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered a stay against the IHC judgement and a three-judge bench, headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, accepted the government's plea on May 20, reinstated the Najam Sethi-led management committee to run the PCB, and restored all its decisions. The bench has called all the parties involved for a hearing on May 27. It remains to be seen how many more twists there would be to this tale. The reinstatement of Najam Sethi wasn t generally welcomed in the cricket circles of Pakistan as besides his own dubious record there are a few others in his 29 REFLECTIONS-4

30 so-called Management Committee, having caused more damage to the game than him in the past. Zaka Ashraf, on the other hand, was looking good in whatever little time he was allowed to work at the helm of the affairs. His decision to rope in Arif Ali Khan Abbasi appeared a masterstroke in these circumstances. Alas that couldn t materialize. It s painful really to compromise on the interests of the game which unites the nation and brings smiles on the faces of the millions, the majority of whom have thousands of issues up their sleeves. It would have been advisable to let Zaka Ashraf work for a considerable length of time because he had shown a lot of promise and guts to take the Pakistan cricket out of shambles. The government could have intervened if he was found wanting or committed acts that defied national policies. But to shoot him down just for the political reasons or to accommodate some one seems unfair by all means. They could have obliged Najam Sethi in some other ways, as they were already doing, but to engage him in the cricket affairs at the expense of a democratically elected chairman doesn t make sense. Isn t it a pity that Zaka Ashraf was forced to devote the major chunk of his energies in counter-productive events for the past one year? He had many plans to fulfill when he became the first-ever elected chairman of the PCB last May. Less than three weeks after his election, the IHC had barred him from dispensing his duties, following questions over the legality of his appointment. REFLECTIONS-4 30

31 Omar Associates sponsor Karachi Gymkhana s Ramazan Cricket Festival 2014 June 21, 2014 A record prizemoney of over Rupees one million will be disbursed in the 29th edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Omar Associates Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2014 which will be getting underway on the first day of the holy month. The details about the tournament, having pioneered the concept of T20 cricket in the country, was unveiled in a media briefing by Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, and Ali Rahim, President, Karachi Gymkhana, here at the Gymkhana s Banquet Hall on June 21. The winners will be receiving a purse of Rs five lacs while the runners-up will be collecting Rs two and a half lacs and the semifinalists will be getting Rs 50,000 each. There will be individual cash awards of more than Rs two lacs on offer as well. Nadeem Omar, in his brief speech, pointed out that the Ramazan cricket tournaments of the city have led to the revival of international career of quite a few fringe players like fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and opening batsman Nasir Jamshed, both of whom came back in the reckoning with strong performances. Mian Shaukat Hussain, who conducted the proceedings, remarked that the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan tourney has set very high standards to be recognized as the most prestigious of all such events held in the metropolis. Test umpire Riazuddin spoke about the technical aspects of the tournament, emphasizing that points will be shared in case of non-completion of league matches although the organizing committee reserved the right to amend the rule. The family of Shabbir Hussain, the deceased former cricketer who coached the Gymkhana members for a long time, will be presented a handsome purse at the end of the tournament. A fund for this purpose has been created and substantial donations were pledged on the spot by Nadeem Omar, Altaf Agha and Iqbal Umar. Meanwhile, a total of 16 teams, divided equally in four groups, will be entering the competition. Top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the knockout phase starting with quarter-finals. For the first time in its 29-year-old history the sponsors of the tournament, Omar Associates, will also be the defending champions. The draws of the tournament, having been taken out in the presence of the officials of the participating teams and the tournament officials at the Gymkhana s cricket ground a few days ago, were also released on the occasion. Holders and sponsors Omar Associates have been drawn in the Group A alongwith Qasmi Cricket Club, Karachi Gymkhana Academy and Brothers Cricket Club Dadu while the Group B comprises of Mohammad Hussain Cricket Club, Karachi Gymkhana, Sony Associates and Eaton Cricket Club. The Group C contains Tapal Cricket Club, Bank Islami, K-Electric and Vital Five Cricket Club while the Group F features Heroes Cricket Club, Dubai Islamic Bank, Advance Telecom and Shabo Stars Cricket Club. 31 REFLECTIONS-4

32 Omar Cricket Club retain KG Festival tourney July 28, 2014 Omar Cricket Club retained the title by edging out K-Electric by nine runs in the low-scoring final of the 29th edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Omar Associates Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2014 at the KG Cricket Ground on July 27. Batting first, Omar CC recovered to post a total of 145 for six in the allotted 20 overs with Sarfaraz Ahmed s unbeaten 33 off 22 balls being the highest contribution. Anwar Ali played a little cameo of 25 off 15 balls while Hafiz Saad Nasim remaining undefeated on 23 off 10 balls and Khurram Manzoor making 21 off 20 balls. K-Electric was restricted to 136 for nine after an absorbing contest between bat and ball. Shahid Khan (31 off 24 balls), Faraz Ali (25 off 26 balls) and Tariq Haroon (20 off 20 balls) got a start but neither of them could finish the game as Omar CC fought back through medium-pacer Asif Raza (3-22) and the spin duo of Zulfiqar Babar (2-25) and Adnan Kalim (2-31). Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, who was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony held immediately after the conclusion of the final, presented a cheque of Rs five lacs to the winning captain, Adnan Kalim, while total cash awards of Rupees one million were disbursed on the occasion. Asif Raza s fine all-round performance had enabled the defending champions to storm into the final when outwitted Eaton Cricket Club by 32 runs in the rain-curtailed semifinal on July 25. Batting first, Omar CC managed 125 for nine in the allotted 17 overs with Hafiz Saad Nasim (26 off 23 balls), Anwar Ali (21 off 15 balls), Asif Raza (21 off 8 balls), presented Man of the Match award by chief guest Jahangir Moghul, and Omar Siddiq (21 off 27 balls) chipped in with crucial knocks as the batsmen were tested by the spin duo of Saadat Munir (4-33) and Fahad Anjum (2-29). Eaton CC could not get on top of the penetrative bowling to be skittled for 93 in 16.3 overs with only Ali Jawwad (27 off 30 balls), Nadeem Javed (17 off 15 balls) and Fahad Anjum (14 off 10 balls) offering some resistance as the innings was wrecked by the quartet of Zulfiqar Babar (3-29), Anwar Ali (2-8), Faraz Ahmed (2-9) and Asif Raza (2-22). K-Electric had cruised into the final by having overwhelmed Advance Telecom by seven wickets in the other semifinal on July 26. Put into bat, Advance Telecom struggled against the slow bowlers to reach a total of 133 for nine in 20 overs in which Sohail Khan (22 off 14 balls), Mohammad Yasin (21 off 20 balls) and Asif Ali (18 off 19 balls) contributed anything of note. Off-spinners Shahid Khan (2-11) and Misbah Khan (2-30) were well supported by the quartet of Fawad Khan, Osama Basharat, Rizwan Khan and Saud Shakil, all of whom got a wicket each. Opener Faraz Ali, adjudged Man of the Match, smashed a couple of sixes and seven boundaries in his 70 off 51 balls which allowed K-Electric to reach the target comfortably with 2.1 overs to spare. Off-spinner Nasir Owais (2-14) was the pick of the Advance Telecom bowlers. REFLECTIONS-4 32

33 Omar Cricket Club clinch Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup for second year running Omar Cricket Club extended its sensational form to retain the title by edging out Advance Telecom by two runs in thrilling final of the 2nd Peace Cup T- 20 Night Cricket Tournament 2014 at the picturesque Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium on July 27. So it has become two in two for the rampaging Omar CC side as they had also emerged triumphant in the inaugural edition of the tournament held at the same venue last year. July 28, 2014 Set a daunting target of 172 in 20 overs, Advance Telecom needed eight off the last six deliveries. Off-spinner Misbah Khan kept his cool and delivered a fantastic final over which yielded only five runs. He finished with the excellent figures of two for 28 in the high-scoring game. Advance Telecom was restricted to 171 for eight despite Babar Agha, who hammered two sixes and half a dozen fours in brilliant knock of 59 off 47 balls and Asif Ali, who made 55 off 26 balls with the help of six sixes and four fours. Omar CC was indebted to former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Sami who first boosted the total by blasting an unbeaten 59 off 34 balls with three sixes and two fours and later chipped in with two wickets for 17 runs to clinch the Man of the Match award. Omar CC installed a big total of 173 for seven in the allotted 20 overs. Prolific opener Rameez Raja gave the innings head start by striking seven sixes and eight boundaries in his splendid innings of 80 off just 44 balls. Fast bowler Sohail Khan (2-38) and leg-spinner Faizan Riaz (2-28) pulled it pack for Advance Telecom before the final onslaught from Mohammad Sami. The prize distribution ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the final in which trophies and cash awards were given away by Adil Siddiqui, Advisor to Sindh Chief Minster, Arif Habib, Chairman Arif Habib Group, Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, and Mohammad Iqbal, Director Sports, Naya Nazimabad. The Omar CC skipper, Javed Mansoor, collected the winners trophy with a purse of Rs four lacs while the Advance Telecom captain, Rehan Sheikh, received the runners-up trophy with a cash award of Rs two lacs. Among the individual prizes, Saud Shakil of Alamgir Gymkhana was declared Man of the Tournament while Rameez Raja, Fawad Khan and Javed Mansoor, all of them from Omar CC, were adjudged the best batsman, the best bowler and the best wicketkeeper of the tournament respectively. 33 REFLECTIONS-4

34 Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup scales greater heights in its second edition July 31, 2014 The dream of Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, of establishing the Lawai Stadium in Naya Nazimabad as a model cricket ground is on 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 recently concluded second edition of the Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup, held under fllodlights, was another feather in the cap of the Javedan Corporation Limited, 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. There were apprehensions in some minds about the location of the ground but, as Arif Habib 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 presence of the high-ranking government officials, including Commissioner Karachi, Shoaib Ahmed 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. While the support of the Arif Habib Group and the proactive involvement of the top management of the Javedan Corporation played its role in the smashing success of the tournament, one person who played the pivotal role in making it possible was none other than Mohammad Iqbal, a former cricketer, whose vast experience of cricket administration allowed him to do it in an organized manner. The resounding 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 Boarb (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. REFLECTIONS-4 34

35 Tapal Cricket Club retain Aga Khan Gymkhana Ramazan Trophy July 31, 2014 Tapal Cricket Club overcame the rampaging Omar Cricket Club in the high-scoring final to win the 27th Aga Khan Gymkhana Ramazan Trophy Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2014 and retain the title in the picturesque surroundings of the Aga Khan Gymkhana on July 28. Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, was the chief guest in the presentation ceremony held at the ground immediately after the conclusion of the final. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Hakim Ali Khan, Chairman, Aga Khan Gymkhana, Shameez Mukhi, Chairman, Aga Khan Youth & Sports Board for Pakistan, Mohammad Iqbal, Director Sports, Naya Nazimabad, Riaz Contractor, Manager, Aga Khan Sports Centre and Amin Merchnat, ex-general Manager, Tapal Tea (Pvt) Ltd. Arif Habib presented the winner trophy with a cash award Rs three lacs to Daniyal Ahsan, captain, Tapal Cricket Club, while Adnan Kalim, skipper, Omar Cricket Club, collected the runners-up trophy with a purse of Rs two lacs. Ahmed Hussain of Soni Associates was adjudged Best Batman of the Tournament for scoring 201 runs while Tapal Cricket Club s off-spinner Atif Maqbool clinched the Best Bowler award for his aggregate of 10 wickets at apiece. Khalid Latif of Touchme XI, who aggregated 229 runs, was declared the Best Player of the Tournament. All the individual awards earned the winners Rs 10,000 each. The final of the tournament produced exhilarating stuff with as many as 370 runs scored of 39.3 overs. Omar CC, having remained undefeated in all the five major tournaments being held in the city during the holy month of Ramazan, seemed to have done well to post a total of 184 for four in the allotted 20 overs. It was being generally anticipated that Omar CC will win yet another tournament as their bowlers did have the capacity to defend the big total in a high-profile game. Tapal CC, however, had other ideas and they didn t succumb to the scoreboard pressure to overhaul the target with three balls to spare. The 120-run opening stand between Usman Javed (72 off 42 balls) and Adnan Baig (52 off 33 balls) got the defending champions off to a flyer. Both the openers smashed 10 boundaries each to set a solid platform for the big chase. The momentum was sustained by the middle-order batsmen, who kept their cool and were not overawed by the occasion or by the reputation of their opponents. Fawad Alam grabbed a couple of quick wickets with his left-arm spin which only delayed the inevitable. Skipper Daniyal Ahsan remained undefeated on 22 to ensure that the good work of the openers was not undone. Earlier Omar CC made the most of their batting depth by scoring swiftly in the slog overs to lift the total to 184. The 72-run unbroken fifth wicket stand between Sarfaraz Ahmed (49 off 33 balls) and Fawad Alam (39 off 21 balls) seemed to have given them an iron-grip on the match but the eventual score didn t prove adequate enough on a day which belonged to Tapal CC. 35 REFLECTIONS-4

36 India s participation boosts twin Asian events in Pakistan August 18, 2014 The twin Asian snooker events, having started in the port city of Karachi on August 17, received a massive boost with the participation of the Indian cueists, who were issued visas at the eleventh hour. Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), didn t mince words in stating they were mighty relieved with the participation of the Indian cueists, who will also be the defending champions in the team event. The Jubilee Insurance 2nd Asian Team Event and the Jubilee Insurance 3rd 6-Red Snooker Championship 2014, being sponsored by the Jubilee Insurance Group, are being held at Hotel Avari Towers from August 17 to 23. They are offering lucrative prize money of US$23,625. The Asian Team Event carries prize money of US$14,250 while the 6-Reds tourney will have US$9,375 at stake. Certainly the presence of India has made a huge difference. They have elevated the profile of the tournament. The Indians have played here in the past as well and they have been quite popular visitors. It s very heartening to host them again, he stated. The contingents of Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pulled out at the eleventh hour but we are happy to have as many as 11 countries being represented in the twin events, Alamgir Shaikh remarked. Besides hosts Pakistan, the 10 countries taking part in the twin events are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Palestine, Qatar, Singapore, Syria and Thailand. The PBSA had extended the invitation to all the 35 member countries of the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS). Having staged a continental event here only last year, the organizers were confident of getting participation from around 25 countries this time but they may have to be content with 11 countries only. REFLECTIONS-4 36

37 Meanwhile Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee General Insurance, during his speech in media launch, announced additional cash prizes for the Pakistani cueists taking part in the back to back events. He paid glowing tribute to the young cueists for having earned glories for the countries during the last years, urging them to carry on their excellent work at the table. Javed Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee Life Insurance, commended the rise in the standard of snooker in Pakistan and hoped that the journey will continue with the coordination of all the stakeholders. He vowed to further support cue sports and looked forward to sponsoring the World Snooker Championship in Pakistan in Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Commissioner, Karachi, assured the PBSA of the total support of the local administration in providing the security to the foreign cueists and delegates during their stay in the city. Jahangir Khan, a living legend of squash, reckoned that the soft image of the country will improve greatly by hosting the twin events. He encouraged Pakistan s cueists, who were present on the occasion, and advised them to take advantage of the home conditions and do better than what they did in the past. You should try to win both these events which will give you more confidence when you play abroad in future. You have done well in the recent years. Now try to capitalize by sustaining the momentum, he emphasized. 37 REFLECTIONS-4

38 Highly educated Shahram Changezi brings grace to snooker arena August 22, 2014 The doyen of sports journalists in Pakistan, Gul Hameed Bhatti, while reviewing one of my books, had observed that it s always better to have more than one option professionally. He was referring to my degree in civil engineering and my passion for writing which had brought into journalism. He was absolutely right. Having the luxury of choice is a blessing. You don t feel like working and you never get tired when doing things that you actually love. Obviously it s not always easy to get into that kind of position. There have been very few athletes who have also excelled in academics which provided dual career options. Cricketers of the pedigree of Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Majid Khan, Imran Khan and Rameez Raja were also successful in securing degrees in higher education. Shahram Changezi, a former national snooker champion, appears to be the firstever top ranking cueist of the country, who has excelled in academic career as well. He is currently representing Pakistan in the ongoing Jubilee Insurance 2nd Asian Team Event Snooker Championship 2014 being staged at Hotel Avari Towers in Karachi, is a rare breed of athletes having made it to the top while having pursued scholastic activities. Born at Islamabad on April 3, 1983, he has been raised in the federal capital. He matriculated from the Islamabad College for Boys G-6/3 in 1990 while he did FSc from the Punjab College a couple of years later. He graduated in business administration at the Preston University in 2009 before doing masters, also in business administration, from the Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, in REFLECTIONS-4 38

39 He has been employed at the headquarters of the prestigious National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) as Admin and Protocol Officer since Shahram Changezi had started playing snooker at the age of 15. He earned the Best Player of Punjab award at only 17 while he became the Punjab Cup champion in 2005 which paved the way for his entry in the national circuit. It didn t take him long to make his presence felt at the national level and he was crowned as the champion in He retained the title in 2008, the year which also saw him becoming the top ranked cueist of the country for the first time. He helped Pakistan win a bronze medal in the 2010 Asian Games in China. He remains the only Pakistani, besides the England-based Shaukat Ali, to have featured in the in the top 100 UK Order of Merit, having done it in He was Pakistan s third ranked cueist in Shahram Changezi s academic career witnessed breaks to fuel his passion for snooker. He had taken a break from education from 2001 to 2004 and then again from 2009 to He took several years/semesters off in order to participate in the various snooker events. He is still one of the best exponents of cue sports in the country and he has the fierce determination to earn more glories for the country. He has completed his education but engaged in a fulltime job at a leading university might not allow him the kind of time he would have ideally liked to devote to the game. 39 REFLECTIONS-4

40 Brilliant Faisal Khan leads India s triumph in Jubilee Insurance Asian Team Event August 23, 2014 The brilliance of Mohammad Faisal Khan allowed India to retain the crown as they prevailed over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of the 2nd Asian Team Event Snooker Championship 2014 at Hotel Avari Towers, Karachi, on August 23. India A, comprising of Kamal Chawla, Faisal Khan and Dharmendra Singh Lilly, overpowered Pakistan A, featuring Mohammad Asif, the 2012 world champion, and Mohammad Sajjad, 3-1 in the final with the frame scores of 104-0, 95-1, 26-99, The presentation ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the final in which handsome cash prizes, trophies and medals were awarded to the outstanding performers. Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee General Insurance, was the chief guest of the evening while Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Commissioner, Karachi, was the guest of honour. They credited the organizers for doing a fabulous job. The top functionaries of the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) and the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) were also present on the occasion. Earlier in the day, the Indian trio had stunned the favourites Iran, being represented by Hossien Vafaei Ayouri, the 2011 world champion, and Amir Sarkosh, having clinched the Asian 6-Reds title a few days ago, in the semifinals 3-1 with the frame scores of 136-0, 76-4, 58-61, Pakistan had cruised in the final by hammering the dangerous Thailand, having Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn and Boonyarit Kaettikun, in the semi finals 3-1 with the REFLECTIONS-4 40

41 frame scores of 71-53, , 1-76, Faisal Khan remained India s hero of the day as he starred in both the crunch matches which motivated his teammates, Kamal Chawla and Dharmendra Singh, to also rise to the occasion. He won both his singles matches in the final against Pakistan. He got his team off to a flying start as blanked Mohammad Asif in the opening frame, chalking up a fantastic break of 70. The momentum was sustained by Kamal Chawla who outfoxed Mohammad Sajjad in the next frame, compiling a superb break of 91. Asif-Sajjad pulled it back for the home side by winning the doubles frame against the duo of Faisal Khan and Dharmendra Singh. Sajjad was under intense pressure when he appeared to take on Faisal Khan in the fourth frame and the latter pressed home the advantage. He capitalized on his early lead and overcame some nervous moments to seal the fate of the tournament. Faisal Khan had led India off to a spectacular start in the semifinals too, registering breaks of 81 and 55 in the opening frame against the supremely confident Amir Sarkosh. Kamal Chawla doubled the lead by outplaying Hossien Vafaei Ayouri. The Iranians kept the contest alive by narrowly winning the third frame but it was all over for them when Kamal Chawla defeated Amir Sarkosh in the fourth frame. In the other semifinal, Mohammad Asif edged out Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn in the opening frame and Mohammad Sajjad, with a classy break of 85, humbled Boonyarit Kaettikun in the next frame. The Thailand pair comfortably won the doubles contest but Mohammad Asif outgunned Boonyarit Kaettikun in the very next frame to guide Pakistan into the final. 41 REFLECTIONS-4

42 Jahangir Moghul considers Grand Master Ashraf Tai as Bruce Lee of Pakistan 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 , 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. September 15, 2014 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. REFLECTIONS-4 42

43 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 43 REFLECTIONS-4

44 Pakistan Customs declare 2015 as Year of Jalaluddin September 15, 2014 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. REFLECTIONS-4 44

45 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. 45 REFLECTIONS-4

46 Saad-ul-Haq: Shane Warne in the making? In order to fulfill his dream into reality he is a regular visitor to the Florida Cricket Academy over the weekends when the enthusiastic learners are provided the much-needed lessons by qualified coaches. He was barely four years old when Shane Warne, the legendary Australian legspinner, had decided to his hang boots but he heard and read so many stories about the champion which fascinated him endlessly. November 11, 2014 As they say one should aim high. Saad-ul-Haq is only 11 years old and imagining him to become a leg-spinning wizard in future may look too ambitious at this stage but you never know. This Florida-born lad has cricket in blood. His father, Naeem-ul- Haq, played first-class cricket in Pakistan. His uncle, Anwar-ul-Haq, who was a prolific opening batsman, came very close to representing Pakistan at the international level. Not surprisingly Saad has had the passion for cricket since childhood even though he has been brought up in the United States of America (USA) where the sport doesn t enjoy the kind of popularity it has in Pakistan. Saad, a natural leg-spinner, who turns the ball quite a bit, seems to be having a burning desire to succeed in cricket. Well Warnie was quite a character and we many never witness another version of Shane Warne ever but there s always an incentive to model yourself on his lines because even if you achieve even a few of his traits you could still be making big. REFLECTIONS-4 46

47 Naeem-ul-Haq, who is a qualified coach, believes that his son has the potential to grow and he can blossom into a real good spin bowler in future. With the Florida Cricket Academy planning a tour of Pakistan early next year, it would be interesting to see if Saad also accompanies the squad. 47 REFLECTIONS-4

48 Jalaluddin pledges for lifetime affair with cricket November 28, 2014 Boosted by the glowing tributes showered upon him, Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler, has pledged to continue working for the cause of the game until his last breath. During his brief address in the launching ceremony of 2015: Jalaluddin s Tribute Year here at the Karachi Gymkhana Banquet Hall on November 27, the highest qualified coach of the country vowed to have a lifetime attachment with the sport which has earned him fame and recognition. Pakistan Customs has ventured to pay tribute to Jalaluddin in a befitting manner in view of his overwhelming contribution to the game of cricket. A grand gala dinner in his honour will be organized at a five-star hotel while an exhibition T-20 match between Pakistan Stars-XI and Pakistan Customs-XI, dedicated to him, will be staged at National Stadium, Karachi. Some other side events like the launching of a book on the history of Pakistan Customs cricket and conducting a seminar on cricket coaching are also planned to be a part of the programme to be held in January-February I feel really touched and overwhelmed lavished by our departmental chiefs. I could not have made it where I am today without their unstinted support. They have been very considerate and accommodating towards the cause of sports in general and cricket in particular. Now it s my duty to reciprocate by devoting the rest of my life in serving the interests of cricket as well as our department, Jalaluddin, the founder chief coach of the Customs Cricket Academy (CCA), observed in an emotional tone. He was responding to the compliments passed by Nazim Saleem, Chief Collector Enforcement, South, Nasir Masroor, Chief Collector Appraisement South, and Khalil Masood, Ex-member Customs and former Chairman, Corporate Law Authority. We have decided to celebrate 2015 as the tribute year to Jalaluddin, in recognition of his outstanding services as a player, a coach and as an administrator. He thoroughly deserves this honour. In fact we are late in doing it. Our department should have done it a few years ago, Nazim Saleem reckoned. Having played a phenomenal role in the grooming of talented youngsters from all over the country at the state-of-the-art Customs Cricket Academy in Karachi, which he has been running for the last 15 years, he has contributed overwhelmingly to be acknowledged in a befitting manner, the Chief Collector Enforcement stated. Everyone at Pakistan Customs feels proud of his accomplishments, singlemindedness and consistency of purpose. That s why his departmental colleagues are excited about turning his benefit year s events into a resounding success, Nasir Masroor, Chief Collector Appraisement, remarked. Our collectorate has been looking after the cricket affairs at the Pakistan Customs and it s mainly due to Jalaluddin s efforts that we have gone from strength to strength over the years. He has played an awesome role in developing talent from the grassroots level. He has made the department proud with his accomplishments, he complimented. REFLECTIONS-4 48

49 Khalil Masood, Ex-member Customs, recalled that day about three decades ago when he had appointed Jalaluddin at the Pakistan Customs on the basis of his cricketing abilities. It looks like ages ago when Jalaluddin was struggling to find a job. It was our good fortune that we offered him the employment which he gladly accepted. Since then he has proved a great asset for the department as well as the country. He has been doing a great service to the game by coaching the youngsters and turning them into professional cricketers, the former Customs Collector said. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari, former President, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates. 49 REFLECTIONS-4

50 Consistent policies, eagle-eyed selection vital for Pakistan cricket: Anwar-ul-Haq December 23, 2014 Anwar-ul-Haq, a former opening batsman, has underscored the importance of consistent policies and professional management in order to revive the Pakistan cricket and put it on solid footing. I have no doubt in mind that Pakistan has been blessed with outstanding cricket talent. All we need is the consistent policy at every level to make the most of it and be counted as as one of the top sides of world cricket, he remarked in a recent chat. I am saying this with total conviction because I have remained a part of the set-up which got hold of the raw talent and groomed them into stars. The colt scheme at the Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) worked wonders and we were able to produce high-quality cricketers from the bunch of youngsters whom we had spotted from the grassroots level, Anwar-ul-Haq, who became the coach of the bank after quitting first-class cricket, recalled. Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Asim Kamal, Atiq-uz-Zaman, Mohammad Zahid, Shahid Nazir and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, all of whom have played for Pakistan, were the proud products of MCB Colts. They possessed enormous talent but we provided them the platform and the opportunity to unfold their skills and move up the ladder, he added. There s a long list of successful first-class players who began the journey with us. We were able to do it because of our consistent policies. Our bank s President, Hussain Lawai, was a great supporter of inducting young blood. Our sports department s chief, Mohammad Iqbal, also shared the same philosophy and we were able to execute the plans to perfection with the blessings of our management, Anwar-ul-Haq, who scored 13 centuries in 108 first-class matches while scoring 5,854 runs, stated. The Pakistan cricket also needs to adopt similar kind of policies for long-term benefit. Talented youngsters, if groomed and taken care of nicely, could prove to be assets. We need eagle-eyed selectors who can continue backing the players who have the spark and the guts to succeed at the higher level, he suggested. The regional or the national selectors can only be encouraged to do so if they have the backing of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). That s where the issue of consistent policies comes up. The Board should look at the larger picture and merit should never be compromised. Otherwise the desired results might not be achieved, Anwar-ul-Haq, who played against the visiting Australian and Indian teams in the 1980s, cautioned. REFLECTIONS-4 50

51 Once the induction of the youngsters starts taking place there were be a larger pool of cricketers and there will be more flexibility in selecting different outfits for different formats. We can also have T20 specialists or Test specialists as some other countries do have at the moment, he pointed out. In modern cricket, professional approach holds the key. The coaches need to be on their toes all the time. Gone are the days of the laidback thinkers or doers. Now we need proactive personnel to do the business. Cricket is played differently now but Pakistan has the talent to compete. It s just a matter of better management in order to extract the best of the boys, he concluded. 51 REFLECTIONS-4

52 Naya Nazimabad Football Stadium set to become next big thing December 30, 2014 A football stadium of international standards is nearing completion in Naya Nazimabad and it will soon be made available for hosting matches, much to the delight of the local sports fraternity. The infrastructure projects hold lifeline to the development of sports and it s very heartening indeed to find such a wonderful football stadium getting ready to become the next big thing in the city. It s going to be the fulfillment of another dream of Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, who has already created waves in the sporting community by having developed the Lawai Stadium in Naya Nazimabad which is acclaimed as the most picturesque cricket ground of Karachi. It s the vision of Arif Habib, one of the leading entrepreneurs of the country, besides his passion for sports, which has resulted in the development of cricket and football stadiums of international standard in Naya Nazimabad. Mohammad Iqbal, Director Sports, Naya Nazimabad, disclosed recently that the football ground, measuring 180 feet by 300 feet has a fully grassy field and the dugouts as well as the goal posts have already been installed. The pavilion is under-construction and it will be ready very soon. The floodlights will be installed in the second phase which will also be completed in By the end of the year the floodlit Naya Nazimabad Football Stadium would be looking forward to become a most popular venue for the sport, he observed. REFLECTIONS-4 52

53 Mohammad Iqbal, a former cricketer, brings with him vast experience of sports administration as he headed the MCB s sports department for a number of years, having remained associated in the development of infrastructure projects in the past as well. He has already proved his mettle at Naya Nazimabad as well where, with the total support of the Arif Habib Group and the proactive involvement of the top officials of the Javedan Corporation, the facilities for sports are being developed of the highest standard. The manner in which the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium has been developed and maintained speaks volumes of the professional management and the extraordinary efforts having been put in. It s quite remarkable how such a fantastic ground has been developed in incredibly quick time. More significantly it s also being maintained properly. They have already staged a couple of editions of the Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup Cricket Tournament, under floodlights. In fact the knockout matches of the 2nd Peace Cup were telecast live. It was an accomplishment of sorts for the event having gone on air in only its second year. It seems a matter of time for the Lawai Stadium to start hosting matches of the national cricket tournaments, organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on a regular basis. It s a welcome addition to the list of well maintained cricket grounds in the city. The phenomenal success of the cricket stadium and the desire of the promoters of the massive housing project to patronize sports in their arena there s very little doubt in one s mind about the Naya Nazimabad Football Stadium becoming talk of the town in the not too distant future. It will be a particularly pleasing sight for the residents of Naya Nazimabad to have a high-quality football stadium, besides one for cricket, in their own backyard. Besides using the facilities themselves they will also get the rare opportunity of watching the star players in action in their own locality 53 REFLECTIONS-4

54 Pakistan Bridge Federation rewards victorious outfits August 20, 2015 The Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) has rewarded the seniors and the women team of the country for having triumphed in their respective events of the 18th Asia and Middle East Bridge Championships 2015 held in Amman, Jordan, earlier this year. In fact it turned out be quite a memorable reunion of Pakistan s bridge stalwarts and the sumptuous dinner served in the lush green lawn on a most pleasant evening brought smiles on every face attending the event. Cheques of Rupees three lacs each were presented to the captains of both the winning teams during a dinner reception hosted in their honour by Mohammad Nawab Yousuf Talpur, President, PBF, at his DHA residence in Karachi on August 17. Pakistan s seniors outfit comprised of Azhar Hamid, Iftikhar Baqai, Mirza Shauq Hussain, Zakir Mahmood, Masood Mazhar and Kamran Ibrahim, while the national women team featured Rubina Agha, Zeenat Azwer, Qudsia Dossa, Roshan Bokhari, Rubina Hai and Fatima Reza. By virtue of winning the zonal trophies, both the teams have also qualified for the World Bridge Championships, due to be staged in Chennai, India later this year. They will be taking part in the 8th d Orsi Seniors Trophy and the 20th Venice Cup to be held alongwith the 42nd Bermuda Bowl and the 10th Transnational Teams Championships from September 26 to October 15. The cheques were collected by Kamran Ibrahim and Roshan Bokhari, who captained the seniors and women outfits respectively. Speaking on the occasion, the PBF President hailed the performance of the seniors and women teams in the zonal event, expressing the hope that their feat will be helpful in boosting bridge in Pakistan. REFLECTIONS-4 54

55 Nawab Yousuf Talpur talked about the federation s plans to initiate a programme aimed at promoting the sport from the grassroots level in order to it to the masses. Our current and former players have done an exceedingly good job over the years. But we need to look to the future and we have to expand the base. We need a broader pool of players in order to produce high quality players on a regular basis, he remarked. Gulzar Bilal, Secretary, PBF, added that they already have finalized a plan to mobilize the youngsters and they look forward to implementing it in the very near future. We are at it and we would be launching the programme for youth shortly. We do have talented and passionate youngsters playing bridge in the country which augurs well for the future, he reckoned. The ceremony was attended among others by Mazhar Jafri, Khurshid Hadi and Tariq Raheed Khan, all of whom having headed the PBF in the past. The other prominent bridge players present on the occasion included Abdul Rahman Allana, Shahin Iqbal, Ghalib Bandesha, Maj (retd) Masood Zaidi, Rashid-ul-Ghazi, Hasan Askari, Dr Minhaj Kidwai and Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi. 55 REFLECTIONS-4

56 CCA revives Inter-Academy Cricket League November 26, 2015 Six of the leading academies of the country will be taking part in the second edition of the NBP Inter-Academy Cricket League 2015, being organized by the Customs Cricket Academy (CCA), which will be inaugurated on November 28 with the CCA to take on NBP Cricket Academy in the opening match of the tournament at the NBP Sports Complex, housed in Clifton. Besides the CCA and NBP Cricket Academy the other participating teams will be from Moin Khan Cricket, Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, PIA Cricket Academy and UBL Cricket Academy. The details about the event, whose inaugural edition was held in 2010, were unveiled by Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler and Head Coach of the CCA, in a media briefing at the Karachi Gymkhana on November 28. It s going to be an Under-19 tournament and the cricketers, born on or after January 10, 1997, will be eligible to take part in it. Only those players registered with the academy will qualify to represent the team. All the participating academies have submitted their 20-member squad to the organizing committee, Jalaluddin informed. There will be no entry fee for the tournament but a payment of Rs 2,000 will be needed if changes in the squad are desired by any of the participating team. Any player infringing the rules will be debarred from the event and the team will be fined upto Rs 5,000, he added. Although the tournament will be having limited-overs games with each team to play a maximum of 40 overs, they will have the flavor of four-day matches as well. Second new ball will be available after 30 overs. Similarly batting and bowling points will be awarded as incentives besides crediting nine points for an outright win and six points for a winning draw, Jalaluddin explained. REFLECTIONS-4 56

57 The idea behind reviving the event is to improve the quality of cricket from grassroots level. Although the tournament is being organized after a gap of five years, now every effort will be made to hold it annually, he announced. The tournament will be spread over six weeks and all its matches will be staged on Saturdays and Sundays in order to facilitate the participating students. Khalil Masood, one of the founders of the CCA and a former Chairman of the Corporate Law Authority, expressed his delight with the continued growth of the academy which was established with great fanfare in Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, emphasized on the significance of grooming young talent and providing them the best possible facilities. He urged the philanthropists to support the sporting activities generously for the sake of the nation. Javed Mansha, representing the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), talked about the role of his organization in promoting sports and he hoped that the legacy will live on. Owais Asad Khan, Incharge of the Sports & CSR Division of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), vowed to continue supporting the cause of sports in the same manner as his worthy predecessor. He also threw light on the significance of educating the athletes to let them become more successful in their careers. Prominent among the former cricketers present on the occasion included batting great Sadiq Mohammad, Azeem Hafeez, Sajid Ali, Anwar-ul-Haq, Sagheer Abbas, Athar Laeeq and Jawwad Ali. 57 REFLECTIONS-4

58 Nadeem Omar honours ICC President May 22, 2016 Nadeem Omar, an acclaimed sports patron, has firmly set the tradition of honouring the living legends and the evening dedicated to the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Zaheer Abbas, also known as the Asian Bradman, was an extension of it. The Crystal Ball Room of Hotel Marriott in Karachi was the venue of the reception hosted in the honour of the ICC President by Omar Associates on May 22 and it turned out be yet another memorable gathering of cricket fraternity. Jamshed Omar, Founder and Chairman of Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, presented a shield to Zaheer Abbas, who also received a gold medal from Nadeem Omar, the firm s Managing Director. Speaking on the occasion, Zaheer Abbas complimented the hosts for having set the tradition of national heroes. This is an extraordinary service to the nation. Heroes are meant to be honoured and respected. It reflects that we are a vibrant and cultured nation. We need more people like Nadeem Omar in Pakistan to keep doing this more often, the Asian Bradman declared. Nadeem Omar, besides being a great patron of sports, is also a very lively person with whom I have fond memories on many tours. He is an enterprising person, having been gifted with a fabulous mind and a generous heart. He deserves to be complimented for his outstanding efforts, Zaheer Abbas complimented. REFLECTIONS-4 58

59 He regretted the decline in the standard of the game in Pakistan in the recent past but expressed the hope that things will get better as soon as foreign teams start visiting Pakistan in not too distant future. It s indeed painful for me to note that our batsmen are not being able to perform consistently at the highest level for quite a long time now. The batting legends have retired long time ago. It really hurts at times because we have had a formidable batting line-up in our era, he felt. The former Pakistan captain, who scored prolifically in Tests as well as the Oneday Internationals, said he s satisfied with his own performance as the ICC President during one-year tenure. Nadeem Omar, in his welcome speech, described Zaheer Abbas as a jewel in crown, who has made the country proud with his accomplishments as a cricketer as well as an administrator. He was not only hero from the time I started following cricket but he was idolized by millions of people from all over the world. His batting remained poetry in motion and we all loved his stylish stroke-play, Nadeem Omar reflected. Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), Salahuddin Ahmed, former chief selector, Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, President, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, Qamar Ahmed, veteran journalist, Mansoor Masood Khan, Member Governing Board, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Moin Khan, former Pakistan captain, were the other speakers on the occasion. The ceremony was attended by a large number of eminent cricketers, including Jalaluddin, Saleem Yousuf, Sikander Bakht, Nadeem Khan, Ghulam Ali, Mahmood Hamid and Tanvir Ahmed. 59 REFLECTIONS-4

60 Nadeem Omar inaugurates KG Festival, stresses on fair play June 5, 2016 Nadeem Omar, the Managing Director of Omar Associates and the owner of Quetta Gladiators, has stressed on fair play and positive attitude as he formally inaugurated the 31st edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament 2016 for the Omar Associates Trophy on June 4. With Test wicketkeeper-batsman Saleem Yousuf standing behind him, he deadbatted a friendly half-volley in the corporate settings of the banquet hall which, on a cricket ground, he would have deposited it somewhere into the stands! In his brief remarks on the occasion, Nadeem Omar, whose company is sponsoring the event for the fifth year running, hoped that other corporations and institutions will also come forward for patronizing sports. Sadly the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year ( ), presented just the other day, doesn t have adequate allocation for sports. Now the onus is on the private sector to promote sports in the right manner, he reckoned. The Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival is the oldest tournament in which the talented cricketers from all over the country get an opportunity to showcase their talents. We are happy to be associated with it, he added. Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, the promoters of Omar Cricket Club and Omar Colts, have also been managing veterans and women s teams besides having its regular team which plays national-level tournaments. Meanwhile the prize money of the Omar Associates Trophy 2016, due to start at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on the first day of Ramazan, has been REFLECTIONS-4 60

61 enhanced. The decision in this regard was taken by the President of the Karachi Gymkhana, Fawad Salim Malik, during the media briefing as he announced that the winners will now be getting Rs seven lacs instead of Rupees six lacs and the runners-up will be collecting Rs three lacs fifty thousand instead of Rupees three lacs. The total prize money of the four-week event, whose final will be played on 28th of Ramazan, will be Rupees 13 lacs and eighty thousand, which is the highest in the 30-year-old history of the tournament. In his welcome address, Fawad Malik described the Karachi Gymkhana as the premier sports and social club east of the Suez Canal, which took pride in its legacy and heritage. He made a particular mention of its cricket ground, having hosted a few of Pakistan s famous matches. Altaf Hussain Agha, a former President of the Karachi Gymkhana and also the Director of the Tournament Committee, spoke about the plans to install floodlights at their cricket ground later this year. Riazuddin, an international umpire of repute and member of the technical committee, disclosed that all the T20 rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including Duckworth-Lewis method for shortened matches, will be applied during the tournament. As in the past, tournament will be contested by a total of 16 teams, having been divided equally in four groups for the preliminary rounds. This includes five new teams, Anees Hussain Cricket Club, Dawood Sports, Sojhula Cricket Club (Dera Ghazi Khan), Atiq Estate and Shahmil Associates, who will be making their debut in the competition. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout phase, starting with quarter-finals. For the preliminary rounds, Omar CC has been drawn in the Group A alongwith Medicam, Mohammad Hussain CC and K-Electric while the Group B comprises of Karachi Gymkhana Whites, Sojhula CC, Atiq Estate and Eaton CC. The Group C contains Omar Colts, Heroes CC, Shahmil Associates and Anis Hussain CC while the Group D will be featuring Karachi Gymkhana Blues, Dubai Islamic Bank, Dawood Sports and Tapal CC. 61 REFLECTIONS-4

62 Tai s Karate Centre hosts Grand Iftar reception June 17, 2016 Tai s Karate Centre, the most famous of all martial arts institutions of the country, hosted an Iftar-dinner reception in the honour of its students at its international headquarters, housed at the KGA Gymkhana in Karachi, on June 16. Around two hundred persons, mostly the trainees of the centre alongwith their instructors and support staff, besides representatives of media, attended the ceremony which was organized by Mukhtar Ahmed, one of senior black belters, and a livewire member of the centre. The iconic figure of Grand Master Mohammad Ashraf Tai, a legend in his own lifetime, also graced the occasion with his family. In his brief address on the occasion, he commended Mukhtar Ahmed for helping in the revival of organizing social events at the Tai s Karate Centre which goes a long way in further boosting martial arts in the country. He also recognized Qamar Siddiq, the Chief Instructor of the centre, who is also an international black belt 6th Dan, and Jamil Ahmed, the Deputy Chief Instructor, for their services to the centre. Mukhtar Ahmed, the host of the evening, lavished Grand Master Ashraf Tai with enormous praise for having introduced Bando, the Burmese style of martial arts, in Pakistan many decades ago. Sir, your awesome performances against the top martial artists of the world and your passion for spreading the game are legendary. You have earned fame and recognition which was unprecedented in karate, he complimented the Grand Master. REFLECTIONS-4 62

63 Grand Master Ashraf Tai indeed has been synonymous with karate for more than four and a half decades now. He has not only excelled himself but more significantly he has spread the flame with his continued coaching to the trainees at the Tai s Karate Centre. He has been particularly eulogized for his untiring efforts in training thousands of young boys and girls over the years many of whom are now themselves engaged in teaching the game to new students. Quite remarkably the Grand Master remains as passionate about the sport of karate as he was at the time of setting up his centre in He has lost none of his intensity and even these days he teaches his trainees with the same level of dedication and commitment as decades ago. 63 REFLECTIONS-4

64 SNGPL clinch Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup July 12, 2016 Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) annexed the 4th Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Cricket Tournament 2016 by whipping State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) by eight wickets in the one-sided final under floodlights at the picturesque Hussain Lawai Stadium, located in Naya Nazimbad, Karachi. Batting first, SBP was restricted to 132 for seven in the allotted 20 overs. Skipper Israrullah was the top scorer with 29 off 25 balls, hitting five boundaries, while Farrukh Shahzad (22 off 35 balls) and Daniyal Rajput (18 off 14 balls) also reached double figures as the innings was rocked by Sadaqat Ali, who returned the figures of three for 24 off four overs. SNGPL reached the target of 133 in the 19th over, after having lost a couple of early wickets. They were guided to a comfortable victory by the duo of Khurram Shahzad and Taimoor Sultan who added 104 for the third wicket without being separated. Khurram Shahzad led the victory charge with a fluent unbeaten 63 off 45 balls with the help of five towering sixes and two fours. He was ably supported by Taimoor Sultan who remained undefeated with 47 off 51 balls, cracking three boundaries alongwith a solitary six. The chief guest of the evening, Hussain Lawai, President, Summit Bank Limited, in whose name the cricket stadium is named, presented Man of the Match award of Rs 75,000 to Khurram Shahzad for his enterprising knock. Adnan Akmal, the skipper of SNGPL, received the winners trophy and a cash award of Rupees one million while Israrullah, the SBP captain, collected the runnersup trophy and cash award of Rs five lacs. SNGPL s all-rounder Hussain Talat, became richer by Rs 50,000 after being declared Man of the Tournament, having scored 165 runs besides capturing 13 wickets. Mohammad Irfan of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC)\ was adjudged the best bowler, while Taimoor Sultan and Adnan Akmal, both of them from SNGPL, REFLECTIONS-4 64

65 got adjudicated as the best batsman and the best wicketkeeper of the tournament respectively. They received a purse of Rs 25,000 each. Dawood Sports earned the best disciplined team cash award of Rs 50,000, which was received by Jamil Ahmed, Joint Secretary of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA). 65 REFLECTIONS-4

66 Valika welcomes Pulsirivong s induction into world snooker Hall of Fame August 3, 2016 Ali Asghar Vailka, having served as President of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) for a couple of decades, has warmly welcomed the induction of Thailand s Sindhu Pulsirivong into the world snooker Hall of Fame. It s a matter of great pleasure and satisfaction for all of us that Sindhu Pulsirivong, the long-serving President of the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand (BSAT), has become the first Asian to be inducted into the elite list, he commended. It s equally heartening to note that he has also created history of sorts by becoming the first non-player recipient of the award, which had previously been strictly the domain of the top players from the United Kingdom and Ireland, Asghar Valika added. Sindhu Pulsirivong, who is also President of the World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association (WPBSA), was inducted into world snooker Hall of Fame, alongside former World Champion Stuart Bingham and Rex Williams in the sport s annual awards ceremony in London. He has thoroughly deserved the recognition at the highest level that has come his way now. He has been a great supporter of snooker over the years, having played pivotal role in globalization of cue sports, Asghar Vailka, who himself headed the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) for six years, complimented. "This is the most prestigious award in snooker and his extraordinary services have now been appropriately recognized. I firmly believe that this would encourage the snooker administrators and organizers all over the world, particularly in Asia, which augurs well for the future of cue sports, he added. It s interesting to add that the snooker careers of Asghar Vailka and Sindhu Pulsirivong have had quite a few similarities. Both of them were elected to lead their respective federations of cue sports in the same year (1988). The two illustrious contemporaries also went on to lead the ACBS besides holding key slots in the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF). REFLECTIONS-4 66

67 Both of them are revered in the snooker circles globally for their monumental contributions to the sport which merit greater recognition. 67 REFLECTIONS-4

68 Anwar-ul-Haq lauds CCA, desires coaching role for Jalaluddin at national level August 8, 2016 Anwar-ul-Haq, a former opening batsman, has lauded the services of the Customs Cricket Academy (CCA), having hit headlines lately by annexing the Rajiv Gandhi Under-15 Trophy Cricket Tournament in Chennai, India. The CCA, founded by Jalaluddin, the highest qualified coach of the country, has been doing a fabulous job over the years and the recent triumph of their Under- 15 outfit in India is just another feather in their cap, the former first-class cricketer turned analyst remarked in an interview. The manner in which the CCA teenagers performed in India recently very clearly brought to light the virtues of modern coaching and training. They were able to outsmart their opponents because they possessed talent as well as the desired grooming, Anwar-ul-Haq thought. It s quite an accomplishment on part of the CCA Under-15 outfit to have overwhelmed Tamil Nadu by 47 runs at Marina Cricket Ground in Chennai. After winning and losing a game in pool stage against Chennai and Haryana respectively, CCA remained undefeated in three knockout matches. It s never easy to perform well in the alien conditions so the boys deserved to be hailed for doing it there, he reckoned. Besides their cricketers the entire support staff and the management of the CCA deserved accolades for this victory in India. There were some brilliant individual performances alright like that of opener Saim Ayub, who clinched a couple of Man of the Match awards besides winning Man of the Tournament trophy, but it was the teamwork that led to success in challenging environment, Anwar-ul-Haq pointed out. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should also lay greater emphasis on training and coaching in addition to running its academies. They should engage the trainers all over the country in a proactive manner to let them coach the talented youngsters to let them unfold their skills, he suggested. REFLECTIONS-4 68

69 Anwar-ul-Haq felt that Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler and one of his contemporaries, on account of his accomplishments as founder head coach of the CCA, should be provided an opportunity to be a part of the coaching setup of the national team or the national academies. 69 REFLECTIONS-4

70 Little Master Hanif Mohammad to live in hearts of cricket fraternity August 14, 2016 The legendary Pakistani batsman and former captain, Hanif Mohammad, who was famed for emerging triumphant against the heaviest of odds, having played the longest innings in Test cricket, performed a miraculous recovery before succumbing one last time in his life on August 11. He lived to the reputation of going down fighting. Having withstood the fury of the most dangerous fast bowlers of the world his last battle was against the deadly disease of cancer. He came perilously close to defeating it. Miraculously was revived back to life after being declared clinically dead for six minutes at the Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi. But he expired later in the day at the age of 81. Hailed as the original 'Little Master', Hanif was diagnosed with lung cancer in He had recovered after the surgery and treatment in London three years ago but his condition deteriorated a few weeks ago and had been having treatment for respiratory complications which proved fatal. Hanif's son, Shoaib Mohammad had first announced from the hospital on various television channels that his father had died after losing a protracted battle with various ailments due to which doctors had put the former legend on a ventilator. But only a few minutes later it was announced that Hanif had not passed away and was alive. REFLECTIONS-4 70

71 "His heartbeat had stopped for six minutes but the doctors managed to revive his heartbeat back. God has given him a second chance and I just feel this is due to the prayers of his millions of fans and supporters," Shoaib was quoted as saying. "Hanif Mohammad is alive and he is being provided the best possible treatment after he was admitted to hospital for complicated respiratory problems two weeks back, He is now on a ventilator and in intensive care unit getting treatment for complications due to his lung cancer," the hospital spokesman followed up much to the relief of the cricket community which was heartbroken earlier. The joy of getting a new lease of life from the jaws of death was shortlived, however, as the greatest-ever opening batsman of the country lost the battle against cancer later in the day. Hanif, one of the original inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, was only one of the three surviving members of Pakistan s first-ever Test team that played against India in With his demise, Waqar Hasan and Imtiaz Ahmed now remain the only two survivors now. Born on December 21, 1934 in Junagadh in the Indian state of Gujarat, Hanif and his four brothers, Raees, Wazir, Mushtaq and Sadiq, formed one of the most famous cricket dynasties of all time. Four of the five brothers played Tests while Raees, a 12th man once, was the only one to miss out. At least one of the Mohammad brothers played in Pakistan's first 101 Tests. Hanif's son Shoaib played 45 Tests while his grandson Shehzar 30 first-class matches. Three of his brothers, Raees, Mushtaq and Sadiq, attended the funeral while the fourth one, Wazir, who s reportedly ill, was unable to reach from London. In a distinguished international career spanning 17 seasons, he amassed 3915 runs at an average of with the help of 12 centuries in 55 Test matches which was a Pakistan record at that time for both runs as well as centuries. His highest score was that monumental 337 which allowed Pakistan to save the Barbados Test in 1958 after following on. He had occupied the crease for no less than 970 minutes which still remains the longest Test innings are more than 58 years. The following season he surpassed Don Bradman's record for the highest individual first-class innings by making 499 before being run out attempting his 500th run. The record stood for more than 35 years before being broken by Brian Lara in REFLECTIONS-4

72 Beaconhouse School start powerfully after Moin Khan inaugurates Omar Trophy September 1, 2016 Defending champions Beaconhouse School whipped Ladybird Grammar School by 10 wickets in the inaugural match of the eighth edition of the PVCA Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016 for the Omar Trophy which got underway at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 1. Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Ladybird Grammar School was bowled out for 93 in 22.5 overs. Chasing a modest target of 94 in 40 overs, Beaconhouse raced to the target in a matter of 13 overs without losing any wicket. Ladybird Grammar School could not recover losing early wickets. The middle-order batsmen also failed to click against the potent spin-cum-pace attack of the opponents. Mr Extras turned out to be the leading scorer with 17 while only Anas Ali (16), Amanullah (14) and Abdul Rafay (14) could reach double figures. The innings was rocked by the Beaconhouse School left-arm spinner Waleed Hasan Shahid (3-14) and he was adjudged Man of the Match. He was ably supported by leg-spinner Muaz Bin Sulaiman (2-13) and medium-pacer Hamza Tahir (2-16). The Beaconhouse School opening pair of Ahmed Kabir and Haris Bin Tahir completed the job in style, adding 96 for their unbroken opening partnership in only 13 overs. Ahmed Kabir was the more aggressive of the two, smashing one six and eight fours in his unbeaten 59 off 52 balls while Haris Bin Tahir struck two boundaries in his undefeated 25 off 26 balls. Before the start of the match, a colourful ceremony was held in which Moin Khan, a former Pakistan captain and the head coach of Quetta Gladiators, declared the tournament open. All the 32 participating teams were present on the occasion with the placards of their respective institutions. Moin Khan, while appreciating the efforts of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) for holding the Inter-School event one more, advised the participating students to avail the opportunity of stealing the limelight by performing consistently in the high-profile tournament. REFLECTIONS-4 72

73 Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, in his welcome remarks, expressed the hope that the level of the competition will be on higher side as the best school cricket teams of the metropolis will be in action during the next two and half months to determine the champions at the National Stadium, Karachi, on November 15. The PVCA is organizing the Inter-Schools tournament in Karachi for the eighth time, having launched it with great fanfare in The event is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd with Bank Alfalah Ltd being the co-sponsors. The participating teams have been divided equally in eight groups. It includes 31 schools of the metropolis while a team of Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys has also entered the tournament in which 55 matches are to be played at seven different venues. 73 REFLECTIONS-4

74 Jawed Karim leads Pakistan snooker contingent to Thailand September 2, 2016 Jawed Karim, Vice President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), will lead the Pakistan contingent in the Sagnsom 6-Red World Snooker Championship 2016 being staged in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 5 to 10. Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, President, PBSA, informed that the three-member Pakistan contingent will be boarding the Thai Airways flight TG342 from the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport, Karachi, on September 3. Babar Masih is the lone Pakistani cueist to have been invited for the Sagnsom 6- Red World Championship 2016 on the basis of his performance at the various international and regional events in the recent past. International referee, Shabbir Hussain Daruwala, who is also an Executive Committee member of the PBSA, is the third member of the Pakistan squad for the six-day event, being staged in the Thailand capital. Babar Masih, having emerged as one of the leading cueists of the country, follows the footsteps of compatriots Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Sajjad, Hamza Akbar and Mohammad Majid Ali, who had been invited in the earlier editions of the global tournament. As in the past, the 48 participating cueists from all over the world have been divided equally in eight groups for the preliminary rounds with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh of Thailand being the reigning champion. REFLECTIONS-4 74

75 At the end of the league matches, the top four from each group will move into the knock-out stage. Hailing from the city of Rawalpindi, Babar Masih has been placed in the Group alongwith Stuart Bingham (England), Ryan Day (Wales), Wayne Brown (England), Dareen Morgan (Wales) and Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm (Thailand). The event, launched by the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand (BSAT) in 2008, was known as the 6-red Snooker International which was later renamed as the 6- Red World Grand Prix before finally being recognized as the official 6-Red World Championship with the blessings of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). 75 REFLECTIONS-4

76 Federal sports authorities assure support to PBSA September 4, 2016 The Pakistan Billiards &a Snooker Association (PBSA) has been assured the allocation of a hall for setting up snooker academy at the PSB Karachi Centre besides the release of the pending cash award to the ace cueist, Hamza Akbar. Alamgir Anwar Shaikh. President, PBSA, who returned to the city after having held a series of meetings with the top functionaries of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) in Islamabad over the past three days, expressed his delight with the positive mindset and cooperative attitude of the government officials. The Federal Sports Minister, Riaz Hussain Pirzada, during our meeting, issued the directives to immediately release Hamza Akbar s long pending cash award of Rupees 15 lacs for winning the Asian Championship 2015 in Malaysia. He also ordered for the allocation of a suitable hall to the PBSA for setting a snooker academy at the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Karachi Centre besides advising for the release of pending special grants to the Association in which the Pakistan snooker team had participated, Alamgir Shaikh revealed. REFLECTIONS-4 76

77 The PBSA President also held formal meetings with the newly appointed senior officials at the Ministry of IPC which included the Secretary, Raja Mohammad Nadir Ali, the Deputy Secretary, Fayyaz-ul-Haq, and the Joint Secretary Hussain Ahmed Madni, having briefed them on the performance and achievements of the association and the cueists. The snooker chief of the country also had lengthy sessions with the high-ranking functions of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) including its Director General, Dr Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, Director General (National Federations), Mohammad Azam Dar and Deputy Director General, Syed Habib Shah. The matters relating to the appointment of a foreign coach were on top of the agenda in meetings with the PSB officials. After deliberations and discussions they have given their consent to the PBSA for hiring Soheil Vahedi from Iran as the coach for the Pakistan snooker squad, Alamgir Shaikh disclosed. Accordingly, as a part of the PBSA Coaching Programme, it has now been mutually decided to hold a 15-day training and coaching camp for Pakistan s top cueists at the PSB Complex in Islamabad under the supervision of coach Soheil Vahedi next month, the PBSA President concluded. 77 REFLECTIONS-4

78 Youth development holds key to US cricket future: Naeem-ul-Haq September 16, 2016 Cricket has certainly come alive in a big way in the United States of America (USA) with back-to-back Twenty20 Internationals between the West Indies and India, staged at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida, in August.. The All-Star series and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) had paved the way for the return of international cricket in the USA but the recent series between the West Indies and India seemed to have done enough to ensure a future for the sport in the country. The monumental success of these two matches appears to have gladdened the hearts of the entire cricket community in America in general and they are looking forward to capitalizing on this fever. Naeem-ul-Haq, a former cricketer and now a qualified coach, has always been optimistic about the future of the game in his adopted country despite all the challenges. Having started his career in his hometown Karachi, where he played first-class cricket for his employers Pakistan Customs before relocating in USA, he has believed that better results could be accomplished if the organizational matters were taken care of professionally and there was greater emphasis on the youth development programmes. In an interview, Naeem-ul-Haq, who worked as one of the coaches of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA), reckoned that engaging the youngsters was the best way forward for the further development of cricket. There are a few organizations dedicated to introducing cricket to American children as they look to support local youth cricket by sharing funding, printed and digital resources, and best practices. They also have a network of dedicated volunteers who give their time, energy and money to bring cricket to schools, the former coach of the South East of the USACA, covering the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, remarked. Naeem-ul-Haq, who has been associated with the Global Sports, a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Michigan, revealed that the inaugural Youth Diversity Cup, which is going to be the first tournament of its kind in the USA, was due to be launched next summer. REFLECTIONS-4 78

79 We have worked out a plan to organize the Youth Diversity Cup on the sidelines of the Diversity Cup, which is an established annual tournament, next July. The event will add value to the local communities by promoting an active lifestyle for all children through the playing of cricket, he added. Naeem-ul-Haq further disclosed that, as part of their training programmes, the Global Sports had organized a coaching certification course a couple months ago in Michigan. There were a dozen participants in the Level-1 certification for cricket coaches, conducted by Jalaluddin, Level-4 coach certified by the ECB and a former Test cricketer from Pakistan. The coaches learnt basic skills to teach the game of cricket to upcoming cricketers, he informed. While Naeem-ul-Haq welcomed the initiatives of playing international matches in America in order to explore new areas, and promote cricket besides the hosting of the CPL 2016 and the All-Star series between Sachin Tendulkar s Blasters and Shane Warne s Warriors in 2015, he insisted that the youth development held the key to the future of cricket in USA. The Americans indeed wish to see cricket, especially T20, which is not too dissimilar to baseball, which is one of the most popular sports in the region. But the purpose will not be fully served until a sizeable chunk of their youth turns to cricket, he concluded. 79 REFLECTIONS-4

80 Master stroke by Quetta Gladiators December 5, 2016 Quetta Gladiators, a Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, has signed a sponsorship deal with a leading lubricants firm for the upcoming second edition of the tournament. The signing ceremony in this regard was held with great fanfare at Movenpick Hotel, Karachi, on December 3 in the presence of the top management of the PSL franchise as well as some of their players and coach Moin Khan, who is also a former Pakistan captain. Nadeem Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, which owns Quetta Gladiators, expressed his delight at signing the sponsorship deal with Pakistan Lubricants, the manufacturers of Master Oil, for the PSL-2, to be held in February-March We have made history of sorts today. This is the first-ever sponsorship deal being signed by Quetta Gladiators. Obviously it s new beginning for us. These are still the early days for the PSL. Ours as well as the other four franchises stand a great chance of getting more sponsorship support in future because the PSL is here to stay and make waves, he reckoned. He attributed the success of Quetta Gladiators, who finished runners-up in the inaugural edition of the PSL earlier this year, to the virtues of teamwork, making special mention of coach Moin Khan and manager Azam Khan. REFLECTIONS-4 80

81 Some circles were not much impressed with the line-up we had chosen. But we had done it with purpose and conviction. We had trusted the abilities of our team and they proved their mettle. Obstacles did come in our way during the journey but we were able to overcome them with our spirit and commitment, Nadeem Omar declared. He expressed great confidence in his emerging players, hoping that the likes of young gun Hassan Khan, a product of Inter-School cricket, will turn out to be the stars of future. On a personal note, Nadeem Omar, whose company Omar Associates has been one of the most consistent supporters of sports in Pakistan over the years, observed that it felt quite differently to be sponsored for the first time. Yes indeed the feeling is quite different at the moment because we have been accustomed to sponsoring all along rather than being sponsored, he added. Later talking to the media, Moin Khan echoed similar sentiments and he too was looking forward to exciting performances from the franchise youngsters in the upcoming PSL. Tabish Javed, Managing Director, Pakistan Lubricants, looked forward to a longterm relationship with Quetta Gladiators. For over five decades our brand Master Oil has exemplified trust and the PSL presents us the opportunity to reach out to our last base of customers and further promote the passion for cricket. It is the first step in what is intended to be a long journey, he remarked. The ceremony was also attended by the key officials of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), including its President, Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, and Secretary, Shafiq Kazmi. 81 REFLECTIONS-4

82 Golden era of Pakistan snooker ends with Alamgir Shaikh s tenure December 25, 2016 Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, having completed a couple of successful four-year tenures as the President of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), will not taking part in the upcoming elections of the national body due to take place on December 28. In accordance with the National Sports Policy, which restrains any official from retaining the same slot for more than eight years, Alamgir Shaikh has not filed nomination for the quadrennial elections. The PBSA, which is affiliated to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), has been hailed as one of the best performing sports federations of the country over the years, having produced positive results on a more consistent basis than any other sport, besides cricket. The game of snooker, it may be recalled, was revived in a big way in 1988 when Ali Asghar Valika took up its leadership and went from strength to strength. He not only changed the nomenclature of the governing body of cue sports from the Billiards Association of Pakistan (BAP), which was dormant for the preceding decades, to the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) but brought about a revolution which witnessed phenomenal growth for snooker in particular all over the country. In a matter of years, Pakistan came to be recognized as one of the major snooker nations, enabling it to be a preferential venue for global and continental events. Asghar Valika, whose administrative and organizational qualities earned him worldwide acclaim, quit the leadership of the PBSA in 2008, ironically to fulfill the obligations of the National Sports Policy. His successor, Alamgir Shaikh, having worked with him for a long time in his team, sustained the momentum and built a stronger platform for cue sports during the next eight years which witnessed more activities at national and international levels. Once again it s the National Sports Policy, prompting another change of guard in the PBSA. The newly elected President, however, will be hard pressed to emulate the accomplishments of his last couple of predecessors, Asghar Valika and Alamgir Shaikh, both of whom are credited to have taken cue sports to very high level. REFLECTIONS-4 82

83 Quetta Gladiators sign title sponsorship deal with Jubilee Life January 30, 2017 Quetta Gladiators, a Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, has signed title sponsorship deal with a leading private insurance firm for the second edition of the tournament starting in less than a couple of weeks time. The signing ceremony between the two parties was witnessed by capacity crowd in the hall of Movenpick Hotel, Karachi, where it was held on January 30. The top management of the PSL franchise alongwith some of their players and coach Moin Khan, who is also a former Pakistan captain. The Quetta Gladiators skipper, Sarfraz Ahmed, who is also the Pakistan T20 skipper and tipped to become the leader in all three formats in not too distant future, however, was unable to make it due to personal reasons. Nadeem Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, which owns Quetta Gladiators, was particularly pleased at signing the title sponsorship deal with Jubilee Life Insurance. Jubilee Life is a dynamic young corporate entity which takes pride in long term relationships. Our successive meetings with them over the past few weeks to finalize the matters reflected their positive approach, he noted. Our squad has a lot of young faces who make up for their inexperience with their aggression and high level of commitment. We may have entered the inaugural PSL as the underdogs but our boys excelled in the field to storm into the final. Now our aim will be to bring home the trophy, Nadeem Omar remarked. He paid glowing tributes to Moin Khan, the coach of Quetta Gladiators, for having put the acts together so nicely, also acknowledging the services of Azam Khan, the manager besides complimenting Sarfraz Ahmed for leading by example. Javed Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee Life Insurance, lavished Quetta Gladiators for emerging as a popular brand right away with their brilliant craftsmanship. Your team has worked wonders in a short span of time and we appreciate your brilliance. We look forward to working with you for a long time to achieve our mutual objective of putting Pakistan cricket on top of the world, he observed. The ceremony was also attended by the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, and the Chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), Fawad Ijaz Khan. 83 REFLECTIONS-4

84 Dr. Minhaj Qidwai elected new KBA President February 24, 2017 Dr Minhaj Qidwai and Khalid Mohiuddin have been elected unopposed as the President and the Secretary respectively of the Karachi Bridge Associates (KBA) for a three-year term starting from According to the results declared by the KBA at the Aslam Bridge Hall, housed at the National Stadium, Karachi, all the nine candidates having submitted their nominations were elected unopposed. The Founder President of the KBA, Ahsan Rizvi, having relocated abroad, didn t contest the elections while Azwer-ul-Haque, a veteran bridge player and administrator, was conferred the post of Chairman Emeritus and Rehana Saigol, a former President of the Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), has been inducted as an Advisor of the KBA. Besides Dr Minhaj Qidwai (President and Director), and Khalid Mohiuddin, (Secretary), Mubashir Puri (Director), Tehseen Ayub (Director), Syed Ameer Hassan (Communication Manager), Mohammad Rafiq (Facility Manager), Shaikh Abdul Muqeet (Business Development Manager), Shahab Khan (Media and Publicity Manager) and Wajahat Suri (Training Manager) are the other elected office-bearers of the KBA for the period Serving our members, working closely with like-minded organizations and promotion of bridge among youth are our top most priorities. The new KBA management looks forward to work as a team with all the bridge fraternity to promote bridge in Pakistan and make Pakistan shine on the global bridge map, Dr Minhaj Qidwai remarked. We would like to welcome our member for pairs event every Friday from 6 pm to 9 pm and team event every Sunday from 3 pm to 9 pm at the Aslam Bridge Hall. For playing on Tuesdays the members may have to speak to one of our team members to know the venues holding the event which include Karachi Gymkhana, Karachi Club, Defence Club or Golf Club or elsewhere, he announced. All who desire to learn bridge are encouraged to contact the KBA management for lessons and training sessions. We are open to suggestions on how to promote bridge particularly among the young Pakistanis to excel in this mind sport, he added. REFLECTIONS-4 84

85 Archery comes alive with Ziauddin Valika Memorial Tournament May 1, 2017 The Sindh Archery Association (SAA) celebrated its revival by holding the inaugural Ziauddin Valika Memorial Archery Tournament with fanfare at the historic Al-Nadial-Burhani Sports Complex, situated at Old Queens Road in Karachi, on May 1. There were a couple of competitions organized by the SAA on the May Day. The duo of Tahir Najamuddin Mandviwala and Kanwal Ansar emerged the champions in the mixed doubles event while. Tahir Najamuddin Mandviwala also won the individual spitfire contest. Rasheeda Ziauddin Valika was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony held soon after the conclusion of the twin events. She presented cash awards and trophies to the outstanding performers. Tahir Mandviwala and Kanwal Ansar clinched the mixed doubles event by outshining Murtaza Hussain and Zara Khan in the final. The third position was clinched by Khizar Shaikh and Kinza Baloch. Danyal Valika ended as the runner-up, finishing just behind the eventual champion, Tahir Mandviwala, in the individual spitfire competition in which Khizar Shaikh came third. The SAA, inspired by its new chief patron, Zain Valika, braved the dust and the heat of an oppressive summer day to organize the day-long tournament with renewed enthusiasm, indicating that it s a new beginning for the sport of archery in the province. As the contestants continued to display their expertise by hitting a target fixed on 25-metre distance, on its sidelines it was the SAA chief patron who entertained the guests besides having chats with the media corps. 85 REFLECTIONS-4

86 We all know that strong character leads to confidence in any arena. Archery is considered an outlet with measurable improvement which helps to increase selfreliance, self-assurance, self-worth, and self-respect. Individuals with strong character and confidence create a better community. The SAA desires to play its role in helping to build healthy humans by engaging the youngsters in archery, Zain Valika explained. REFLECTIONS-4 86

87 KG Ramazan Festival s prizemoney enhanced May 22, 2017 The prize money of the 32nd edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2017 for the Omar Associates Trophy, due to start here at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on the first day of Ramazan, has been enhanced substantially. According to the details unveiled by the Tournament Director, Jam Nafees Ali, during the media briefing here at the Karachi Gymkhana on May 22, the categories for cash awards has been increased and the total prize money of the four-week event, whose final will be played on 28th of Ramazan, will be Rupees 14 lacs and 63 thousand, which is the highest in the 31-year-old history of the tournament. The champions will be getting Rs seven lacs and the runners-up will be collecting Rs three lacs fifty thousand with the losing semifinalists will be receiving Rs 50,000 each. The new categories of awards being introduced are for the most boundaries, most catches and most wickets in every match which will be in addition to Man of the Match awards. The tournament is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, the promoters of Quetta Gladiators, Omar Cricket Club and Omar Colts, who have also been managing veterans and women s teams besides having its regular team which plays national-level tournaments, for the fourth year running. In his welcome address, the Karachi Gymkhana President, Fawad Salim Malik, described the club as the premier sports and social club of the country, having been established more than 125 years ago. To a question, he disclosed that the Gymkhana management was working the plans to install floodlights at their cricket ground later this year. Speaking on the occasion, Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, welcomed the participation of the co-sponsors in the tournament hoped that other corporations and institutions will also come forward for patronizing sports. The Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival has remained a most sought after tournament in which many future greats were discovered. The promising cricketers from all over the country get an opportunity to showcase their talents and those performing well get headstart to their career, he added. Riazuddin, an international umpire and member of the technical committee, disclosed that all the T20 rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including Duckworth-Lewis method for shortened matches, will be applied during the tournament. As in the past, tournament will be contested by a total of 16 teams, having been divided equally in four groups for the preliminary rounds. This includes quite a new teams like Dubai Hawks XI, Acme Technologies, Mangus Sports, New Al Habib Cricket Club, Friends Cricket Club (Kandhkot) and Opera Cricket Club, who will be making their debut in the competition. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout phase, starting with quarter-finals on the 21st day of Ramazan. Omar CC has been drawn in the Group A alongwith Dubail Hawks XI, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Advance Telecom while the Group B comprises of Karachi Gymkhana Whites, Dollar East, Mohammad Hussain Cricket Club and Acme Technologies. The Group C contains Eaton CC, Magnus Sports, Sojhla Cricket Academy (Dera Ghazi Khan) and New Al Habib CC while the Group D will be Tapal CC, Heroes CC (Quetta), Friends CC (Kandhkot) and Opera CC. 87 REFLECTIONS-4

88 Engr Anwer Ali desires to take AIT sports to top of the tree The Convener of the Aligarh Institute of Technology (AIT), Engr Syed Anwer Ali, who is also the Vice President of the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA), desires to inculcate the famous Aligarhian sporting spirit among the youth of the country to let them excel in sports and education. Himself a former first-class cricketer, who was a rare all-round talent being a high quality fast bowler as well as a top order batsman, Engr Anwer Ali remains committed to facilitate the AIT students in their quest for knowledge and sports excellence. Sports used to be one of the strengths of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), established by the great Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, originally as the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in We are endeavoring to revive the same sports culture at our institutions here having been founded by AMUOBA to furthering the cause, he remarked in a recent interview. It may recalled that the AIT, housed in Block 5 of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, was founded by the AMUOBA in 1989 and five years later they established the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) in the same arena. During my tenure as Secretary Sports ( ) I had turned it around at the SSUET which became proactive in sports and its students started winning laurels at all levels. Now having taken over as the Convener of the AIT in November 2015, I have been making efforts to lay a strong platform for sports studies in order to facilitate our students, Engr Anwer Ali stated. The majority of the students enrolled at the AIT are in the age group of 18 to 22 years and we are working accordingly to take care of their sports needs besides providing them the best possible facilities for studies. We are among the top educational institutions of the city and we are eager to expand our sports department, he revealed. We are planning to organize two different sports competitions at the All Karachi level during July 28, 2017 REFLECTIONS-4 88

89 the current academic year. In the first festival there will be tournaments of cricket, hockey, football and basketball while the other festival will comprise of competitions in indoor games, Engr Anwer Ali disclosed. Our objective is to take the AIT to top of the tree in the field of sports too among the institutes affiliated to the Sindh Board of Technical Education (SBTE), he declared. Engr Syed Anwer Ali heads the AIT Managing Committee being its Convener while the other members of the committee are Mohammad Arshad Khan, Mohammad Tariq Sabzwari, Mohammad Aijaz-ul-Yaqin, Syed Nasir Hussain, Iqbal Ahmed Siddiqui, Dr.Saleemuddin Chishti, Aslam Shah Khan and Syed Mohammad Munif. 89 REFLECTIONS-4

90 Alamgir Shaikh to represent ACBS in IBSF Board November 29, 2017 Another feather was added in the cap of Pakistan s top snooker personality, Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, as he has been nominated to represent the continent of Asia at the Board of the International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF). Zulfiqar Ali Ramzi, Honorary Secretary, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), announced that the decision in this regard was taken in the recent annual general body of the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) held in Doha, Qatar, on the sidelines of the IBSF World Snooker Championships Alamgir Shaikh, who is the Vice President of the ACBS, has been nominated to represent the continental body at the IBSF Board while Munawwar Hussain Shaikh, President, PBSA, has been appointed as the legal advisor of the ACBS. Both the appointments are great honour for the snooker fraternity of Pakistan, the PBSA official acknowledged. In a brief chat, upon his arrival from Doha, where he had gone to attend the ACBS meeting besides watching the World Championship, Alamgir Shaikh, Co-Chairman, PBSA, vowed to continue playing his role more effectively in the further development of cue sports at the global level. Indeed there are challenges to be met and I will bring all my expertise into play to promote the cause of cue sports on a larger canvas, he added. A recipient of the coveted Pride of Performance award, presented by the President of Pakistan, in recognition to his services in sports administration, he remained upbeat about taking the Pakistan snooker to even higher level in future. Having served a couple of highly successful tenures of four years each as the President of the PBSA, starting from 2008 to 2016, Alamgir Shaikh, also a member of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), expressed the hope that the momentum as well as fresh efforts will continue taking the Pakistan snooker forward in the years to come. Cue sports in Pakistan has come a long away in the recent past and our sustained efforts have yielded the results in the form of glories in almost every international event and more importantly we have prepared a crop of youngsters who are geared to move on, he reckoned. REFLECTIONS-4 90

91 Larkana wins Sindh Judo Championship 2017 November 8, 2017 Larkana emerged triumphant in the second edition of the Sindh Inter-District Judo Championship 2017 which concluded at the Dewa Complex in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi. Sanghar ended as the runners-up and Mirpurkhus stood third in the two-day event which was organized by the Sindh Judo Association (SJA) with the collaboration of the Sindh Sports Board (SSB) and sponsored by Kohinoor Soap and Detergent (Pvt) Limited. A total of 24 players from six districts participated in the championship which was won by Larkana, who accumulated 36 points as they secured two gold medals and one bronze medal. There was tough fight for the top slot between Larkana and Sanghar districts with a solitary point separating the two outfits. Sanghar had to be content with the second position with a tally of 35 points as they claimed a gold medal besides two silver medals. Mirpurkhas earned 15 points by winning three bronze medals to take the third position while Hyderabad was relegated to the fourth slot with an aggregate on 10 points. Sukkur and Nawabshah jointly shared the fifth position in the table by winning a bronze medal each. Contests were held in the three weight categories of 50 kg, 56 kg and open weight. The 24 participants were initially engaged in preliminary round fights. In the finals, fierce bouts took place between the judokas of Larkana and Sanghar while defending champions Sukkur were unable to reproduce the form they had displayed in the inaugural championship. 91 REFLECTIONS-4

92 Mohammad Ali performed the duties of chief referee while the panel of referees also contained Mohammad Ammad, Dilawar Khan Mannan, Shahid Ansari, Ijaz Ali Buledi, Rao Wajid, Fatima Irfan and Hina Subhan. Syed Wasim Hashmi, President, SJA, in his welcome address during the presentation ceremony, spoke about the recent initiatives undertaken by the provincial body in the further development of judo. Ahmed Ali Rajput, Secretary General, SOA, was prominent among those having attended the prize distribution ceremony. REFLECTIONS-4 92

93 VFCC proceed to KL with high hopes of winning Titan s Cup December 21, 2017 Vital Five Cricket Club (VFCC), having emerged as one of the leading clubs of Karachi in a rather short span of time, will be participating in the inaugural KL Titan s Cup T20 Champions Trophy Cricket Tournament 2017 being staged in Malaysia. A 21-member VFCC squad, comprising of 16 cricketers and five officials, will be flying out to Kuala Lumpur in the wee hours of December 22 to compete in the twoweek long international event. Left-arm spinner Faheem Ahmed will be captaining VFCC with opening batsman Hassan Mahmood to be his deputy. Saad Alam and Ali Imran are the other openers in the squad while Rameez Raja and Akbar Babar are the specialist middle-order batsmen. Shaharyar Ali Rizvi has been selected as the wicketkeeper batsman while Yasir Hussain, Ansar Mushtaq and Khurram Shahzad are the three all-rounders. Waqar Anwar, Hamza Ansari Ammar Khan and Huzaifi Hussain Alvi are the medium-pacers while Arsalan Hussain and Shaharyar Tanvir are the lead spinners. Javed Raza Naqvi will be the chef de mission while Waqar Hussain will be the manager with Jalaluddin, Anwar-ul-Haq and Haris Khan to be the head coach, the batting coach and the bowling respectively. The 12 participating teams in the KL Titan s Cup T20 Champions Trophy Cricket Tournament have been divided equally in two groups for the preliminary rounds. VFCC has been placed in the Group B alongwith FRCC, Haji Baba CC, Pak Flag CC, TSCC and Eleven Star CC while the Group A comprises of Active CC, Islamabad Green CC, Moin Khan Academy, Spartans CC and Xchanging Warriors. 93 REFLECTIONS-4

94 At the end of the league matches, the top four teams from both the groups will qualify for the knockout stage of the competition starting with quarter-finals. Meanwhile VFCC hosted a dinner reception prior to the departure of the squad at the Karachi Gymkhana on December 19 in which Younis Khan, a former Pakistan captain and the leading scorer of runs and centuries for the country in Test cricket, was the chief guest. Prolific Test batsman Asad Shafiq was also present in the ceremony, largely attended by the officials and members of the club alongwith the Kuala Lumpur bound squad. Speaking briefly on the occasion Younis Khan didn t mince words in stating that the promotion of club cricket merited greater attention than the development of academies. He lauded the efforts of VFCC in promoting cricket from the grassroots level and then fast tracking the development of young cricketers by sending them abroad to compete in international events like the KL Titan s Cup. Javed Raza, Chairman, VFCC, shared the aims and objects of the club, expressing his satisfaction over its phenomenal growth from the outset which he attributed to team work and the blessings of the present and former superstars of the country. We envision creating a safe, enjoyable and productive environment in which club cricket could excel while our mission is to bring back professional club culture through structuring and by engaging into positive and competitive cricket. We are on course of achieving of achieving of becoming the top cricket club of Karachi, he disclosed. Jalaluddin, a former Test cricketer and Head Coach of VFCC, described the club as an offshoot of the Customs Cricket Academy (CCA) and both the institutions were working hand in hand to accomplish the mutual goal of grooming the young talent and preparing them for tougher battles. He recalled the outfits of VFCC as well as the CCA have had REFLECTIONS-4 94

95 excellent track record abroad, having won tournaments in India, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the recent past. Khalil Masood, an ex-chairman of the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and Patron in Chief of VFCC and CCA, complimented Jalaluddin and his team for having delivered consistently during the last couple of decades to raise the bar. Our concept of providing coaching, participation in competitions and welfare of youngsters has set an example to follow for others. Our team of coaches has done a commendable job over the years to attain their present status, he acknowledged. 95 REFLECTIONS-4

96 Changing face of Younis Khan the great December 30, 2017 Pakistan s former captain and arguably the greatest batsman to be produced by the country, Younis Khan, had a knack of being at the centre of quite a few controversies during the peak of an otherwise illustrious career. He retired from international earlier this year, after having become the first Pakistani batsman to score 10,000 Test runs. His tally of 34 Test centuries also remains the highest for the country and they may remain so for a very long time. His Test record was nothing short of being incredible. He amassed as many as 10,099 runs at a highly impressive average of in a career spanning no less than 118 Test matches. These are truly outstanding numbers and even the all-time great batsmen would have been proud to own such a record. Younis was seldom accorded the respect or the recognition he richly deserved. Obviously there was the ever-present element of politics in Pakistan cricket which played its due role in him not getting the status he was entitled for. But another factor which contributed in him being in the news for wrong reasons was his temperament. For some strange reasons he was unable to handle the success which had come his way. He would have been better off having sought some professional advice in this matter but probably nobody was sincere enough to have guided him towards that point. In fact there were a few occasions when his accomplishments were overshadowed by his inability to conduct himself in a befitting manner with the most glaring example being the events following the ICC World T20 Championship 2009 which Pakistan had won under his leadership. REFLECTIONS-4 96

97 Instead of becoming a folk hero after such an emphatic victory which had allowed Pakistan to lay hands at an ICC trophy for the first time after 17 years, he was found guilty of messing it up with the media corps who was there to report the arrival of the victorious team under his command. It's not to argue here who was right or wrong or if Younis was provoked by someone at the airport but the fact of the matter is that the triumphant skipper should have talked more about the glories in order to capitalize on the resounding victory instead of engaging into something which could have been avoided. The mercurial right-handed batsman, whose temperament and technique were exemplary in the cricket field, would have been better off having shouldered arms or ducked instead of having a go at the volley of questions from the journalists present at the airport. As it turned out, Younis was boycotted by the furious media community and the then Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, had to arrange a hurriedly called breakfast meeting at his residence on the Independence Day where the misunderstandings were cleared finally. Younis, as his awesome Test record testifies, that he remained a champion batsman all along. He was a fantastic captain too. He was a courageous fellow who dared attacking the opponents in the field. Alas he was found wanting, only off the field. Well Younis, after having quit international cricket, has started looking like a different man now. He has been expressing his thoughts in an articulate manner and he has spoken sense more often than not. We all know that he understands the finer points of the game so well. It was just a matter of time for him to get into the groove. It's very heartening indeed to find a positive change in his attitude. His willingness to be a part of the social campaigns is winning him more friends now. An exceptionally gifted player like Younis has a lot to offer for the game. As he cares for the society and loves the game so passionately we should be seeing more of him in future. 97 REFLECTIONS-4

98 98 REFLECTIONS-4

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