Experienced WAPDA lift Kashmir Cup

KARACHI: WAPDA were crowned champions when they dethroned Army 92-70 in the summit clash of the Kashmir Cup Basketball Championship here at KPT’s Benazir Sports Complex on Sunday.
It was an exciting game with both sides offering tough resistance to each other.
For the winners, Ali Jea remained the top scorer with 18 points to his credit. He was smartly backed by Falak Fareed (18) and Adeel S Raza (13).
For the losing side Army, Javed Iqbal managed (20 points) and Khalid Mehmood (19) displayed fine skills.
Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Sidiqui graced the closing ceremony.
Pakistan Basketball Federation’s (PBF) president Brigadier Rashid Malik was also present on the occasion. The winners were handed over the Kashmir Cup. The best play-maker of the seven-day affair Falak Fareed (WAPDA) was handed over a purse of Rs10,000 for his prominent role in his team’s achievement.
Similarly, Rs5000 each were given away to Muzamil Mehmood (WAPDA, best forward) and Asim (Army, best guard). The three youngest players of the event including Dia Ahmed (Sindh Reds), Danish (Balochistan) and Haris (FATA) also got richer by Rs5000 each.
In the semi-finals, WAPDA had beaten Navy, while Army had edged Police.
Sindh Greens, Sindh Reds, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, Balochistan and Islamabad were the other outfits who took part in the slots which were revived after eight years.
This was the third time that the event was held in Karachi. Lahore has hosted the competition twice.
The affair was organised by Sindh Basketball Association (SBA) with the collaboration of Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBF).
A senior official of SBA said that most of the teams had fielded young players.
“The plus point of the event was that most of the teams except WAPDA had fielded young blood which will ensure safe future of the sport in the country,” the SBA secretary Abdul Nasir said.
The PBF is yet to be recognised by the world basketball governing body (FIBA).
“FIBA is expected to recognise our body in its general council meeting in June-July,” Nasir informed.
“Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has forwarded the details of our elections to FIBA,” the official said.
FIBA had suspended PBF in 2013 on the plea that then president of the federation Asif Bajwa was part of the illegal interim committee entrusted with the task of holding the elections of the parallel Pakistan Olympic Association (POA).
Rashid-Malik led PBF has the support by Arif Hasan-led POA which is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).