Islamabad win divisional basketball final

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad won the Divisional National Basketball Championship (Grade B), defeating Sargodha 56-52 in the final at the Hamidi Hall of the Pakistan Sports Complex here.

The teams fought a neck and neck battle in an effort to break clear. Islamabad, however, stayed ahead throughout and had a 32-27 lead at the halfway stage.

Rizwan Khurshid was Islamabad’s top scorer with 13 points followed by Usman Awan (10). Suffiniah (12) and Hassan played well for Sargodha.

Former FBR chairman and patron in chief of Pakistan Basketball Federation Mian Iqbal Farid was the chief guest at the closing ceremony. PBBF Secretary Khalid Bashir, Federal Basketball Association President Ejaz Rafi Butt, organising secretary Ouj-e-Zahoor and others were also present on the occasion.

Eight teams including Karachi, Rawalpindi, Mirpur Khas, Fata, Islamabad, Kohat, Mardan and Sargodha participated in the championship.

The Inter Departmental Championship was also played at the same venue simultaneously with the tournament also serving as the qualifying round for the National Basketball Championship.

Five of the seven contesting teams qualified for the National Championship, the dates for which will be announced later. They include champions Army, runners-up PAF and losing semi-finalists Wapda and POF Wah plus Railways.

Railways, led by experienced players Allah Bakhsh and Azhar Qayyum Lala, had to work hard to beat Police 76-66 to claim the last berth for departments in the nationals.