Lahore:  Abbottabad and Rawalpindi will host 24 matches of the 50-over-a-side President’s Cup, in which seven leading departments of the country will participate from 24 April to 12 May. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), the winner of the four-day first-class President’s Trophy, will aim to conclude the 2023-24 season with another trophy.

Apart from SNGPL, the other six teams participating in the tournament are Pakistan Television (PTV), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), Higher Education Commission (HEC), and Ghani Glass.

The seven teams will compete in a single round-robin format, with the top four sides after 21 league matches qualifying for the semi-finals. While Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and Abbottabad Cricket Stadium will be used for the league matches, venues of the three knock-out matches will be confirmed closer to the matches.

Ahmed Shehzad will captain WAPDA, Usman Salahuddin will lead SBP, Rohail Nazir will lead KRL, Moeez Ghani will captain Ghani Glass, Mohammad Huraira will lead HEC, while Shamyl Hussain and Saud Shakeel will captain PTV and SNGPL, respectively.

The tournament carries a total prize money of PKR 2.5 million, with the winning side receiving a cheque of PKR 1.5 million along with the trophy.

Abdullah Khurram Niazi, Director of Domestic Cricket Operations: “Following the successful staging of the first-class tournament, the upcoming limited overs tournament marks a positive step in the smooth return and rehabilitation of departmental cricket, which should be welcomed by everyone.

“The return of department cricket aligns with the PCB Chairman’s policy of reinvigorating domestic cricket across the country, which will lead to more opportunities for younger players and a greater likelihood of new talent emerging.”

Fixtures for Wednesday: SNGPL vs Ghani Glass, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium; PTV vs SBP, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium; KRL vs WAPDA, Shoaib Akhtar Stadium

Fixtures for Friday: WAPDA vs Ghani Glass, Shoaib Akhtar Stadium; KRL vs PTV, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium; SBP vs HEC, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

Karachi: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Tuesday emphasized the government's commitment to implement prudent economic policies to ensure sustainable development and prosperity for all stakeholders.

He was talking to Board of Directors of Albaraka Bank Pakistan Ltd and all foreign shareholders to discuss the future economic and financial outlook of Pakistan, in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The Minister highlighted the progress made in various sectors and outlined the government's vision for fostering a conducive business environment and attracting foreign investment.

The Board of Directors and foreign shareholders expressed their confidence in Pakistan's economic potential and reaffirmed their commitment to support initiatives aimed at promoting growth and financial stability.

They commended the government's efforts in implementing structural reforms and fostering a business-friendly environment conducive to investment.

Discussions during the meeting focused on Pakistan's future economic prospects, including opportunities and challenges in key sectors such as banking, finance, and infrastructure development.

The participants exchanged views on strategies to enhance Pakistan's competitiveness, attract foreign investment, and promote sustainable economic growth.

Lahore: Four sisters and all are excellent athletes bringing honor and pride to Pakistan by winning competitions and tournaments the world over in different countries.

A special ceremony was held at the historic YMCA Hall for Twinkle Sohail, Maryam Sohail, Cybil Sohail and Veronica Sohail for winning various titles and competitions of Kabbadi, power lifting and weight lifting. The YMCA Lahore announced honorary membership for four athletes. Bishop of Lahore Rt Rev Nadeem Kamran was chief guest on the occasion and he was honoured with life membership of YMCA. CEO National News Nama Amjad Javed Khan was the guest of honour.

Bishop Kamran appreciated the services of YMCA for the youth. “It is heartening to see that YMCA is giving recognition to the four Christian sisters who have made the nation proud by winning at regional, Asian and world level in different categories of power lifting, weight lifting and kabbadi. The Christian community is proud of these girls and we wish them the best. Their training and winners is not an easy task and they must be helped,” he said.

General Secretary YMCA Emanuel Sarfraz said the YMCA has always backed athletes and sports people. “The YMCA today makes Sohail sisters as its good will ambassadors so that they may encourage the other Christian youth to excel in life.

“We request the first female Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to whom the Christian community looks with great expectations of progress and development to personally meet these athletes and help solve their problems,” Sarfraz said.

Twinkle, who won four gold medals in recent years, and Cybil who is also a gold medalist, explained in detail the various problems that the sisters face.

It may be mentioned here that Pakistan Sports Board and other bodies do not fully fund and help the athletes. They go through the rigorous training and themselves meet all the expenses even that of healthy diet.