Masters Table Tennis League: Asim and Ayesha win titles - Pakistan Daily Times

Masters Table Tennis League: Asim and Ayesha win titles

Staff Report

LAHORE: Asim Qureshi of Pakistan WAPDA won the men?s singles title of the Chromatex Maters Table Tennis League after beating Salman Virk of PWD in a thrilling final at Chromatex Hall here on Monday. Asim, who lost second and fourth sets, won 4-2 with the score-line of 11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, displaying controlled shots and aggressive serve.

?I lost concentration in the second and fourth sets after winning the first with ease and comfort. But I did not lose my confidence and staged a comeback,? said Asim after the final.

The women?s singles crown went to Ayesha Iqbal who defeated Mehmooda Haider in an all WAPDA final. The score-line was 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6. After winning the first two sets, Ayesha seemed in hurry to warp up the match in straight sets and lost concentration that helped Mehmooda to take advantage and win the third set. Ayesha displayed good planning, serve and volley game to overcome her rival in the next two sets to win the match 3-2. ?It was not an easy win, but I am happy that I made a comeback mainly due to my determination and confidence. I am delighted to win the title,? said Ayesha.

Asim received a glittering trophy and cash prize of Rs.25,000 and Ayesha pocketed received similar cash prize and a trophy from chief guest Abdul Shakoor. Also present on the occasion were Lahore District Table Tennis Association Shahjahan Latif, Punjab Table Tennis Association vice president Sabah Waris and organising secretary Abdul Qayuum Khan.

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National, Al-Noor, United, Vital-V win in Champions League - The Nation, Pakistan

KARACHI   - National Cricket Club Lahore, Al-Noor Gymkhana,  United Sports and Vital-V made winning starts on the opening day of Pakistan Champions Cricket League here on Monday.
Slow left arm spinner Zubair Khan captured three wickets
for 14 runs to spin National CC to a 36 runs victory over Dragon Club Hong Kong at Aga Khan Gymkhana Ground.
Imran Ghani produced a fine all-round show by scoring 26 off 20 balls with five boundaries and also took two wickets for 15 runs with his leg-breaks but that failed to save Hong Kong from defeat. M Bilal smashed a rapid 47 with eight boundaries and one six for the winners.
At TMC Ground, leg-spinner Saad Naseem took four wickets for 15 runs to bowl Al-Noor Gymkhana to 64 runs win over
Korangi Al-Fateh. Pakistan discard Fawad Alam made 35 with two boundaries and took two wickets for 16 runs.
Zafar Katpar blasted an unbeaten 64 with seven sixes to guide United Sports to a five wicket victory over Landhi Friends at Landhi Gymkhana Ground.
At RLCA Ground Gulberg, Vital-V defeated Muslim Gymkhana Lahore by 28 runs thanks to four wicket haul by left arm spinner Kashif Bhatti.
Earlier the event on Sunday night was inaugurated at a colourful ceremony by Patron Inchief of Champions League, Senator Syed Mustufa Kamal by striking the ball.
Chairman Organizing Committee Syed Asif Hasnain, Sindh
Ministers Faisal Sabzwari, Shaikh M Afzal, former Pakistan Captains Rashid Latif, Moin Khan, ex-Test cricketers Sarfraz Nawaz, Basit Ali, Jalaluddin, Sikandar Bakht, Danish Kaneria, Arshad Khan, KCCA President Syed Sirajul Islam Bukhari, Secretary Prof. Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi, Senator Farogh Nasim, Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Shaikh, Administrator Baldia Malir Dr. Mukhtar Palejo, MNAs Iqbal M Ali, Rasheed Godil, Sufyan Yousuf MPAs Syed Khalid Ahmed, Aamir Moin Pirzada, Alim-ur-Rehman and other officials were also present on the occasion.
Summarized scores:
National CC Lahore bt Hong Kong by 36 runs. National CC 137-6 in 20 overs (Bilal 47, Waqas Ahmed 31 not out, Imran Ghani 2-15, Ishtiaq 2-17) v Dragon Club Hong Kong 101 all out in 17.3 overs (Imran Ghani 26, Haseeb Amjad 21, Zubair Khan 3-14, M. Bilal 2-9, Mohsin Anwar 2-17, Hafiz Hasan 2- 17).
Al-Noor Gymkhana bt Korangi Al-Fateh by 64 runs. Al-Noor Gym 151-8 in 20 overs (Fawad Alam 35, Saeed Nadeem 34,
Zeeshan Aziz 2-23, Farrukh 2-25) v Korangi Al-Fateh 87 all out
in 19.2 overs (Waseem Naeem 16, Saad Naseem 4-15, Junaid Zia 2-15, Fawad Alam 2-16).
United Sports bt Landhi Friends by five wickets: Landhi Friends 160-7 in 20 overs (Abdul Salam 39, Wajid Ali 24, Shahid 23*, Osama Shah 3-25, Syed Faazullah 2-32) v United Sports 161-5 in 19.4 overs (Zafar Katpar 64*, M Ali 30, Sharjeel Ahmed 2-23).
Vital-V bt Muslim Gymkhana by 28 runs: Vital-V 115-9 in 20 overs (Waqas 24, Hanif Malik 14, Noman Aslam 2-16, Junaid Jan 2-20, Farhan Nazir 2-23) v Muslim Gym 87 all out in 19.2 overs (Arsalan Bajwa 20, Kashif Bhatti 4-23, Yasir Hussain 2-21).

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Di Matteo's hopes fade as Buck blasts league finish - ESPN.co.uk

Roberto Di Matteo's chances of keeping the Chelsea manager's job on a permanent basis appear to have dimmed after the Blues failed to finish in the top four in the Premier League.
Despite victory over relegated Blackburn on Sunday the Blues were consigned to a sixth-place finish in the final league standings - although they will nevertheless qualify for next season's Champions League if they beat Bayern Munich in the final of this year's competition on Saturday.
Di Matteo, the interim boss since Andre Villas-Boas' sacking in March, hopes to keep the job on a permanent basis - but that now seems unlikely after club chairman Bruce Buck lambasted the league performance.
Chelsea were three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal at the time of Villas-Boas' dismissal, but ultimately finished five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham as Newcastle also leapfrogged them.
"We do not consider [finishing outside the top four] to be satisfactory and Roman [Abramovich] and the board will be working over the summer to try to ensure that doesn't happen again," Buck said.
Buck was also critical of the 4-1 league defeat to Liverpool, adding: "We were all very disappointed with the result on Tuesday night in Liverpool. We just couldn't get into the game and we played to Liverpool's tune.
"But if we had the choice to win the FA Cup final or Tuesday night's game, I know which one I would have picked. So, in that sense, I am satisfied."
Buck now hopes the club go on and win the Champions League, after falling short in agonising circumstances against Manchester United four years ago.
Buck said: "We came oh-so-close in Moscow. We want to do better this time.

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