WAPDA crowned basketball champions

LAHORE: WAPDA on Friday were crowned champions when they conquered Army 73-70 in a thrilling final of the National Men’s Basketball Championship here at the Government College University Lahore.

In a fiercely-contested match both teams displayed exceptional skills battling until the final moments. WAPDA, however, seized control in the last quarter, securing a fine win. Zainul Hassan emerged as hero of the day as he performed exceptionally well by scoring 28 points while Mohammad Usman and Mohammad Zahid Arif scored 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Despite a valiant effort from Army, WAPDA’s dominance in the closing stages proved decisive. Tughlab Ammar led the scoring for Army with 24 points, followed by Shoaib Aslam with 19 points and Sheraz Aslam with 12 points.

Director General Sports Board Punjab Dr Asif Tufail graced the closing ceremony and handed over the winners’ trophy to WAPDA. Also present were DIG Police Ghazi Muhammad Salahuddin and GCU Lahore Vice Chancellor Dr Ahmed Adnan as guests of honour. They awarded runners-up and third-position trophies to Army and PAF, respectively. Earlier, in the third place playoff, PAF downed Lahore 90-61. Mohammad Akhtar (24 points), Ahmed Jan (22 points), and Umair Jan (11 points) were the top scorers for PAF. Saboor Mehdi (20 points), Ahmed Abbas (12 points) and Salman Rafiq (10 points) were prominent contributors for Lahore.