Category: Sports

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  • Olympian Neeraj Chopra disappointed with ‘vested interest’ of Indian Media

    Olympian Neeraj Chopra disappointed with ‘vested interest’ of Indian Media

    Indian Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has come out in defence of his fellow javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem saying that there was nothing wrong in what Nadeem did on the field.

    He slammed netizens and Indian media for spreading propaganda.

    Chopra tweeted a video with the caption:”I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I’m extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments.”

    In the video, Neeraj says, “I want to say that one issue has come up about something I said in an interview; that I took the javelin from Arshad Nadeem, the Pakistani javelin thrower. So, a huge controversy is being created around this statement.

    “It’s a very simple thing. We (javelin throwers) keep our personal javelins at the field and everyone and anyone can use that javelin. It is a rule. So, there’s nothing wrong in it. He was just preparing for his throw with that javelin and then I asked for the javelin back.

    “So it is not such a big thing, and I am very sad that some people are using my name to create a big issue about it. I request you to not do it. Sports teaches all of us to walk together.”

    Neeraj also requested people not to use his name as a medium to further their vested interests and propagandas. “I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I’m extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments.”

    “All of us javelin throwers share a lot of love. We all have good conversations. So please refrain from saying things that will hurt us,” Neeraj concluded.

    The 23-year-old athlete is the first Gold medal winner after the 2008 Beijing Olympics for India. Abhinav Bindra was the last person to win a Gold medal for India, while Arshad stood fifth in the contest.

  • Ehsan Mani resigns, Ramiz Raja will reportedly be the new PCB Chairman

    Ehsan Mani resigns, Ramiz Raja will reportedly be the new PCB Chairman

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ehsan Mani has resigned from the post according to reports and the new Chairman will be former cricketer Ramiz Raja.

    As per reports, Mani has told Prime Minister and PCB Patron-in-chief Imran Khan to appoint someone else as he cannot work anymore.

    It must be noted that PM Khan was satisfied with Mani’s performance and insisted that he continues as chairman. They both met for two consecutive days — Monday and Tuesday.

    Ramiz also met the premier on Monday where the two former cricketers discussed the possible candidate for chairmanship and options to improve Pakistan’s cricket.

    As per latest updates, Raja has been given an important post, but there is no official announcement from the board or Raja yet.

  • Babar Azam praises Fawad Alam after a comfortable win against West Indies

    Babar Azam praises Fawad Alam after a comfortable win against West Indies

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam praised his teammate and experienced batsman Fawad Alam after his side defeated West Indies by 109 runs in the second Test to level the two-match series.

    Taking to Twitter, he wrote: “A remarkable victory to draw the series. Absolutely brilliant game from @iShaheenAfridi, @iamfawadalam25, and @RealHa55an. Most importantly everyone from the team chipped in and tried to give their best. More power to you guys!”

    Fawad had scored an unbeaten 124 in the first innings of the Test to help Pakistan recover from 2/3 and post 309/9 in the first innings. Fawad’s inning was also backed by Babar who had scored 75.

    In a post-match statement released to the media, the Pakistan captain said that his partnership with Fawad laid the foundation for Pakistan’s success in the game.

    He also hailed the 35-year-old batsman and advised that all batsmen in the team should learn from him.

    “It was a great team effort specially after losing quick wickets on day one. Fawad and I managed to fight back through our partnership and then Shaheen Shah bowled outstandingly to put pressure on West Indies. We played according to our plan in the second innings and added quick runs to take advantage of the last session on day 4,” Babar said in the presentation ceremony.

    “Fawad Alam is an experienced player. He has scored tons of runs in first class cricket. He has handled the conditions and pressure well and set an example for all batsmen. We all must learn from him. He has proved himself which is an outstanding thing,” the Pakistan captain added.

    Babar also praised young fast bowler Shaheen Shah, saying that the 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler is improving every day and showing great confidence.

    “I am lucky to have a bowler like him in my squad,” he said.

    “Winning a match always give you confidence as a captain. The players gave their 100 per cent and remained confident throughout the Test,” said Babar.

  • Pakistan’s Syed Imaad Ali wins World Youth Scrabble Championship

    Pakistan’s Syed Imaad Ali wins World Youth Scrabble Championship

    Pakistan’s Syed Imaad Ali won the World Youth Scrabble Championship in Karachi on Sunday, reported Dawn.

    The 15-year-old player defeated his opponent in nine out of 13 games in Sunday’s finals as Pakistan finished first in the tournament, with Hasham Hadi Khan — another Pakistani — to qualify for the final with 26 wins, coming in fourth after winning in seven games.

    Two more Pakistani players, Ali Salman and Usman Shaukat, remained in the top 10 till the last round of the championship’s group stage but were unlucky to miss out narrowly after losing their last games.

    Syed Imaad Ali opened up an early lead in the tournament and had soared to the top position with 11 wins and one tie by the completion of the first 12 rounds.

    After this success, he is now the first and only scrabble player to win the World Youth title twice. He previously won the 2018 championship in Dubai, clinched the Junior World Scrabble Championship in Torquay, England, in November 2019, and was also the youngest player to do so.

    Pakistan was awarded the rights to hold the World English Scrabble Players Association (WESPA) Youth Cup for the second year running.

    The championship has been played annually since 2006 in different parts of the world but could not be played after 2019 due to the pandemic outbreak.

  • Samar Khan accused of faking cycling to K2 base camp, clarifies her stance

    Samar Khan accused of faking cycling to K2 base camp, clarifies her stance

    Samar Khan has clarified her stance after a handful of people tried to dismiss her achievement.

    The Current reached out to Samar after her audio clip was leaked on social media by a journalist Jamil Nagri in which she was allegedly being angry at the journalist and locals of Gilgit-Baltistan for dismissing her feat.

    When we asked her about the area she covered on her bicycle and on foot, she said: “Around 15-20 per cent of the trek is paddled by me, in remaining parts I mostly dragged and lifted my bike, as there was hardly a trek for proper walk.”

    When we questioned her about the leaked audio, she clarified: “It’s a leaked WhatsApp audio, where my response has been uploaded on Twitter by a local Balti Journalist Jamil Nagri, whose abuse on social media I was answering at that time. He, with his few friends, started mocking and abusing me on different platforms and the audio is more than this, but a specific chunk has been leaked to use it against me and to get sympathies by using GB (Gilgit-Baltistan) card and arousing emotions of the locals.”

    “Being an athlete, I just rode my bicycle, which made these weak men insecure enough to play these games against me,” she added.

    “I already released my statement on Twitter with an apology but still receiving life threats and abuse.”

    Taking to Twitter, she wrote: “I take complete responsibility of my words but keep in mind it was a personal voice note intended for a single individual, so all of my F’s goes to him only, because nobody can bring here a single public post of mine which spreads hate between #GB.”

    “I offer my apologies to Balti friends whose sentiments got hurt by my words. I am grateful for all the love I always received from GB. I wish the complete abuse would have been shared here instead of uploading a chunk from my response to manipulate people for personal sympathies,” she said in another tweet.

    https://twitter.com/SKhanAthlete/status/1428982990114213888?s=20

    Khan has become the only female cyclist to reach the base camp of the world’s second tallest peak K2. She 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.

    Earlier, Samar gave it back with the same dismissiveness.

  • Shahid Afridi thanks wife Nadia Afridi for ‘lovely welcome’

    Shahid Afridi thanks wife Nadia Afridi for ‘lovely welcome’

    Former captain of Pakistan cricket team, Shahid Afridi thanked his wife Nadia Afridi after he received a warm welcome from his family when he returned home from a successful tournament at the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) 2021.

    The all-rounder took to his Instagram and posted a video with a caption: “Feels great to be back home. Thanks begum for the lovely welcome.” He can be seen celebrating his return home with his kids on the lawn outside his house, decorated with hundreds of rose petals.

    Afridi can be seen standing next to his little girls, the youngest in his arms, clearly happy at the welcome that was waiting for him.

    Afridi-led Rawalakot Hawks on Tuesday defeated the Muzaffarabad Tigers by seven runs to win the final of the KPL at the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium.

  • Man who fell from US plane in Kabul is a young Afghan footballer

    Man who fell from US plane in Kabul is a young Afghan footballer

    One of the people who tragically fell from a C-17 US military plane departing from Kabul on Monday was a young Afghan footballer, according to the General Directorate of Physical Education & Sports in Afghanistan.

    As per details, Zaki Anwari, a young footballer, died on Monday after falling from a US military aircraft. The Afghan National Football Team’s Facebook page confirmed the identity and death on August 18, 2021. The news was confirmed by the Sports Directorate the next day.

    Anwari was one of thousands of Afghans who flocked to the Hamid Karzai International Airport  on Monday, the day after the Taliban captured Kabul, hoping to get on a plane out of the country. He reportedly climbed onto a C-17 plane that was about to depart from the capital.

    Anwari played on the Afghan national youth football team.

    A video published on August 16 shows people sitting on the landing gear flap of a plane taxiing for takeoff as people run alongside the aircraft.

    Several videos circulating on Monday showed people falling from a C-17 aircraft that had taken off from Kabul airport. Later, reports said that several bodies had been found in locations east of the airport.

    News of Anzari’s death comes as the US Air Force investigates the deaths, after human remains were found in the wheel well of one of its C-17 planes that departed from Kabul.

  • Afridi-led Rawalakot Hawks crowned champions of KPL 2021

    Afridi-led Rawalakot Hawks crowned champions of KPL 2021

    Shahid Afridi’s Rawalakot Hawks defeated Mohammad Hafeez-led Muzaffarabad Tigers by seven runs in an epic final of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) 2021.

    Chasing a target of 170 runs, the Tigers were restricted to 162 runs in their allotted 20 overs.

    https://twitter.com/kpl_20/status/1427693690429091846?s=19

    They went off to a decent start with Hafeez (29 off 21) and Zeeshan Ashraf (46 off 26) putting up 54 runs for the opening partnership.

    However, Hafeez’s departure triggered Tigers’ collapse as they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.

    Hawks’ skipper Afridi, who was playing despite not being fully fit, removed Ashraf and Sohaib Maqsood in the middle overs to keep his side in the hunt.

    All-rounder Hussain Talat also chipped in with three wickets to stem the flow of runs.

    His economical bowling spell, 3 for 18 in four overs, was instrumental in laying the platform for the side’s victory. 

    Batting first, the Hawks posted 169 runs in their allotted 20 overs courtesy of Kashif Ali’s brilliant 28-ball 54.

    For Tigers, Hafeez and Usama Mir claimed two wickets each.

    Expressing his joy, Afridi took to Twitter and wrote: “So proud of my players and staff, one of the most memorable wins for me! The KPL was a wonderfully organised event and it has great potential, I’m sure next year will be bigger and better.”

    He also thanked the Pakistan Army: “Special thank you to Pakistan Army for their wonderful support throughout.”

  • Shahid Afridi wants a ban on TikTok, appeals to Shehzad Roy to raise voice

    Shahid Afridi wants a ban on TikTok, appeals to Shehzad Roy to raise voice

    Former Pakistani cricket team captain Shahid Afridi was invited on Ahsan Khan’s talk show, Time Out with Ahsan khan along with singer Shehzad Roy. The sports star appealed the Mukhra singer that he should get TikTok banned for the betterment of the society.

    Shahid highlighted that the app is being misused by civilians and can be accessed in regions of the country where the literacy rate is insufficient for the users to understand the importance of using the app correctly.

    “You raise voice for everything, get TikTok banned as well,” Afridi asked the Ya Rabb singer.

    In response to Afridi’s demand, Shehzad Roy asked why he wants the app to be banned.

    “In most of our remote areas, WiFi reached before education,” the cricketer answered.

    He added that there have been multiple incidents due to TikTok. The all-rounder also expressed his displeasure over the usage of mobile phone by kids and mentioned that his daughter got a phone after turning nineteen.

  • 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.