Category: Sports

  • First Pakistani female cyclist Samar Khan reaches K2 base camp on cycle

    First Pakistani female cyclist Samar Khan reaches K2 base camp on cycle

    Mountain biker and adventure athlete, Samar Khan, has become the only female cyclist to reach the base camp of the world’s second tallest peak.

    Khan, who holds the title of the first Pakistani to summit Mount Kilimanjaro and the Biafo Glaciers in the Karakoram Range on a bike, has set a unique record by reaching the base camp of the savage mountain via cycle.

    As per reports, in her journey, Khan cycled from Askole, a small town located in Shigar Valley, to K2 base camp.

    She posted the landmark achievement on Instagram. “Doorway to Choghori (K2). The stage where prayers are answered or sometimes delayed, where I got to see the clear face of majestic Choghori, standing with grace,” she captioned the post.

    Khan, while narrating her story, mentioned that she has reached her goal by facing harsh climate as she had to encounter long nights of “chasing oxygen” and prayers. “There were many injuries and I was shivering with cold on the way but finally accomplished,” she mentioned in a series of posts.

    Earlier, the award-winning biker girl became the first woman to ride her cycle on the Biafo Glacier, which is located in the Karakoram region at an elevated height of 4,500 meters.

    Khan has participated in a number of races and has also been spreading awareness about extreme sports in Pakistan. The young biker has been vocal about the need to support and promote less popular sports.

  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 schedule announced

    ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 schedule announced

    Oman will take on Papua New Guinea in the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground on October 17 while the Super 12 stage commences with a fixture between Australia and South Africa at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

    Read More – Pakistan, India placed in same group in T20 World Cup

    The complete schedule was announced on Tuesday by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which confirms the highly anticipated match between former champions India and Pakistan. It will take place on October 24 at the Dubai International Stadium while Ashes rivals England and Australia play at the same venue six days later.

    The final will be played in Dubai on November 14, with November 15 marked as a reserve day.

    This will be the first time in over two years India and Pakistan will play each other, the last meeting being at the 50-over World Cup in England in 2019.

    Earlier, T20 World Cup moved away from India due to Covid. The ICC has moved the Twenty20 World Cup from India to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman because of the pandemic. India will remain the host of the event scheduled from October 17 to November 14, the ICC said in a statement.

  • From Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan to Fakhar Zaman, cricketers wish Pakistan a Happy Independence Day

    From Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan to Fakhar Zaman, cricketers wish Pakistan a Happy Independence Day

    Pakistan is celebrating its 75th Independence Day today (Saturday) and while the pandemic is still raging, it hasn’t dulled our cricketers’ patriotic fervour.

    Several cricketers, including Shahid Afridi, posted beautiful and heartwarming Independence Day messages on social media.

    Taking to Instagram, former Pakistan captain Afridi shared a heartwarming video of himself holding the national flag and hoisting Kashmir’s flag with his daughters.

    Cricketer turned commentator Ramiz Raja, who is also celebrating his birthday, wished Pakistan, saying: “Happy Independence Day. So proud to be a Pakistani.”

    Former speedster Shoaib Akhtar turned to his Twitter and shared his pictures while wishing Pakistan.

    Umar Gul not only wished the nation but also prayed for it while posting a beautiful video.

    https://twitter.com/mdk_gul/status/1426264309609472005?s=19

    Junaid Khan stepped a little forward and wrapped himself in the national flag and posted a picture on Instagram.

    Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman and others also turned to their social media accounts to wish the mother land on this Independence Day.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also shared a video of Pakistani cricketers recalling how they celebrated Independence Day.

    The video include captain of Pakistan cricket team Babar Azam, Azahar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Faheem Ashraf and members of Pakistan women cricket team.

  • England tour of Pakistan 2021 schedule announced, Rawalpindi to host both series

    England tour of Pakistan 2021 schedule announced, Rawalpindi to host both series

    England men’s and women’s teams will travel to Pakistan for a bilateral series. Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will be hosting both the series.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Friday, announced that the England men’s team will take on the home side in two T20Is at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi in October. The England women’s team will also play two T20Is and three ODIs against the Pakistan women’s team during the same month at the same venue.

    The England men and women’s teams will arrive in Islamabad on October 9. Subsequently, the touring sides will play the T20Is on October 13 and 14, with the matches being held as double-headers. After the completion of the T20I series, the England men’s squad will leave for Dubai on October 15.

    However, the England women’s side will stay back and partake in three ODIs on October 17,19 and 21 respectively. This will be England senior team’s (men or women) first tour to Pakistan since 2005-06. Incidentally, the matches were initially scheduled to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi on October 14 and 15, but had to be rescheduled as a result of “operational and logistical reasons”.

    “We are delighted to welcome both the England men’s team for what will be their first tour to Pakistan since 2005, and the England women’s team, who will be touring Pakistan for the first time. Both are additional tours with England men’s side scheduled to return to Pakistan in the last quarter of 2022 for white-ball and ICC World Test Championship fixtures,” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said.

  • Olympic gold medalist to be given new medal after mayor bit the first one

    Olympic gold medalist to be given new medal after mayor bit the first one

    Japanese softball player Miu Goto will have her Olympic gold medal replaced after a mayor controversially decided to bite the original medal.

    Tokyo Olympics officials say they’re replacing Goto’s gold medal after Takashi Kawamura, the mayor of her hometown of Nagoya, bit the first one during a ceremony despite Covid-19 concerns, BBC News reports. The International Olympic Committee is reportedly set to cover the costs.

     “With support from the International Olympic Committee and in line with her own intention, Goto’s medal is now set to be exchanged for a new one,” Tokyo organisers said, per Reuters

    Kawamura previously came under fire for taking off his mask to bite the medal, including from Toyota, which owns the softball team Goto plays for, NBC News reports.

    The company said it was “unfortunate that he was unable to feel admiration and respect for the athlete” and “extremely regrettable that he was unable to give consideration to infection prevention”. Kawamura apologised for acting in “an extremely inappropriate way,” adding, “I am fully aware that I should reflect on that.” 

  • Waqar Zaka welcomes national hero Arshad Nadeem, rewards $5000

    Waqar Zaka welcomes national hero Arshad Nadeem, rewards $5000

    Waqar Zaka has welcomed Arshad Nadeem at the Lahore airport and rewarded him with $5000 (10 lac Pakistani rupees) as a token of appreciation as the athlete qualified for the final competition of ‘Javelin throw’ at the Tokyo Olympics.

    Arshad was given a warm welcome upon his return to Pakistan.

    In his hometown, Mian Channu, he was welcomed by a crowd of admirers chanting his name alongside slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad”.

    https://twitter.com/makhdoomab/status/1425589111390457859?s=20

    Yesterday, the Punjab government announced a cash prize worth one million rupees each for javelin thrower Arshad, weightlifter Talha Talib and mountaineer Shehroz Kashif for their recent celestial performances at the Olympics.

    Punjab Sports Minister Rai Taimur Khan Bhatti said Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will hand the cash prizes to all the three athletes.

    “Arshad Nadeem is the first Pakistani track and field athlete who directly qualified [for Olympics],” said Rai Taimur Khan Bhatti.

    He added, “Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib both made Pakistan famous.”

  • Fans gush over Pakistani Olympian Talha Talib’s hot picture

    Fans gush over Pakistani Olympian Talha Talib’s hot picture

    Pakistani weightlifter, who represented Pakistan in the Tokyo Olympics and held the gold medal spot until the final round, shared a picture of himself on Instagram and his fans are going crazy.

    “Don’t stop believing in yourself. No matter what happens,” wrote Talha, while sharing the picture.

    The 21-year-old weightlifter from Gujranwala took part in the 67kg category in the Tokyo Olympics, broke his own national record in the final round. He was eventually bumped down and finished fifth in the competition, lifting 170 kilograms. However, he was widely hailed in the country for his effort.

    Here are a few reactions from the fans on his post:

  • Olympian Arshad Nadeem requests fans to follow his official Twitter account

    Olympian Arshad Nadeem requests fans to follow his official Twitter account

    Pakistani Olympian Arshad Nadeem has requested his fans to follow his official Twitter account instead of fake accounts.

    Sharing a video on his Twitter account, Arshad said that he posted a video on Twitter and Instagram and made an apology for sharing the wrong information about his social media account.

    “Sorry I said 26 instead of 76. I was supposed to say Arshad Nadeem 76 and mistakenly I said 26. I don’t know who that person is but he has made an account with the name of Arshad Nadeem 26. So, kindly follow my official Twitter account with the handle name ‘Arshad Nadeem 76’.”

    https://twitter.com/Arshadnadeem76/status/1425278074501861382?s=20

    The 24-year-old athlete from Mian Channu finished fifth in the javelin throw event at the Tokyo Olympics and received wide acclaim back home for his achievement with little resources at his disposal.

  • Punjab govt announces Rs1 million cash rewards for Arshad, Talha and Shehroz

    Punjab govt announces Rs1 million cash rewards for Arshad, Talha and Shehroz

    The Punjab government on Tuesday announced cash rewards of Rs1 million for javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, weightlifter Talha Talib and mountaineer Shehroz Kashif for their recent stellar performances at the global level.

    Read More – CM Punjab Buzdar promises to ensure better sporting facilities for youth

    Nadeem missed out on an Olympic medal and finished fifth in the javelin throw event at the Tokyo Olympics, but the athlete from Mian Chunnu received wide acclaim back home for his achievement with little resources at his disposal.

    Similarly, 21-year-old weightlifter Talha Talib from Gujranwala took part in the 67kg category in the Tokyo Olympics and held the gold medal spot until the final round before eventually being bumped down and finishing fifth in the competition. However, he was widely hailed in the country for his effort.

    Kashif, 19, had on July 27 become the youngest person to reach the summit of K2. The world’s second-highest peak at a height of 8,611 metres (28,251 foot) above sea level, with the aid of bottled oxygen.

    Hailing the athletes for their remarkable gains, Punjab Sports Minister Rai Taimur Khan Bhatti said the nation watched the Tokyo Olympics with zeal, while Pakistan’s participants Nadeem and Talib “did really well” in the competition.

    Addressing a press conference, Bhatti said he would personally visit the airport to receive Nadeem. The minister said that the Government of Punjab had always supported and encouraged sports persons.

    He also announced an award of Rs0.5m for Nadeem’s coach.

    The minister further said the Punjab government would bear travel expenses of Haider Ali and Nabila Baig, who will take part in the Paralympic Games.

  • ‘Arshad Nadeem played cricket very well’: Meera refers to him as a ‘Cricketer’

    ‘Arshad Nadeem played cricket very well’: Meera refers to him as a ‘Cricketer’

    Actor Meera’s recent press interaction has gone viral on the web as she appreciated Arshad Nadeem for his ‘cricket performance’ instead of ‘Javelin Throw’.

    Read More – Arshad Nadeem’s failure in the Olympics because of extensive use of social media: Chief, Pak team

    “Arshad played good cricket and he uplifted Pakistan’s name. A lot of hard work was visible in his performance. There was honesty, discipline in his body language. I think the government should acknowledge our heroes and reward them,” she said.

    The clip from this interview has gone viral on social media and has received polarizing response from the netizens.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Arshad finished fifth in the Javelin Throw event of the Tokyo Olympics 2020. He threw fifth-best throw covering a distance of 84.62m.