9-a-Side Tournament: PIA pip WAPDA 3-2 on opening day

Pakistan Customs defeat PDS 2-1 in second match

KARACHI: PIA and Pakistan Customs registered victories on the opening day of the Pakistan Cup 9-a-Side Hockey Tournament at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium on Sunday night.

In the opening match, Muhammad Zubair’s two goals helped PIA defeat Wapda 3-2. Wapda’s Tassawar Abaas opened the scoring in the second minute, while PIA’s Zubair netted the equaliser. However, Wapda captain Muhammad Irfan found the net in the 15th minute to end the first-half 2-1.

In the second-half, Zubair struck the equaliser in the 29th minute, while the leading goal for PIA was scored by Shafqat Rasool in the last minute of the game to win the match 3-2.



In the second match, Pakistan Customs defeated Pakistan Hockey Federation Development Squad (PDS) 2-1. Tayyab Rehman of PDS scored the opening goal in the fifth minute, while ten minutes later Customs’ Muhammad Abid scored the team’s first field goal to level the score 1-1. Amir doubled the score in the 32nd minute to win the match 2-1.

Nineteen-year-old Fareed Mansoor of PDS told The Express Tribune that the match with veteran Customs’ team has given them a lot of experience. “We don’t usually get to play with senior players,” said Mansoor. “I’m sure we will produce good players by the end of the tournament.”



Meanwhile, Governor Sindh Ishratul Ibad was the chief guest along with Sindh Sports Secretary Muhammad Rashid, Faisal Edhi, PHF President, Brig (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and PHF Secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior.

Rashid announced Rs3.5 million as the total prize money, with Rs2 million for the winner, Rs1 million for the runners-up and Rs0.5 million for the third-placed team. An additional Rs5,000 prize money will also be awarded by the Sindh Sports Board to each goal scorer. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2016.

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