
Pak cruise past Japan to reach netball final
Pakistan defeated Japan by 64-39 goals in the semifinal of Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship-2025 at Jeonju Hwasan Gymnasium in Jeonju-si, South Korea on Thursday.
They will now face Maldives in the final on Friday (today) who beat Chinese Taipei in the second semifinal.
Enjoying a brilliant unbeaten winning streak, Pakistan girls netball team once again displayed superb skills and confidence to beat their strongest rivals in the event in the all-important clash. They had previously outplayed Japan in the group match as well. This was Pakistan's sixth straight victory in the mega event.
The outstanding players for the winners in the semifinal were Leya Raza Shah, Alisha Naveed, Sumayya Kouser, Haleema, Jasmine Farooq, Sumayya, Jasmine, Amani, Parisa and Farah Rasheed who never allowed the Japanese players to bounce back in the crucial match.
As for the final, Pakistan will be mindful of the hard-fought group game against Maldives earlier this week where both the netball teams displayed a dazzling game before Pakistan won 49-39.
Chairman, Pakistan Netball Federation, Mudassar Arian, President, Sameen Malik, Secretary General, Muhammad Riaz congratulated the Pakistan team for winning the semifinal against a strong opposition like Japan.
Eleven teams are participating in Asian Youth Netball Championship 2025 which is being played from June 27 to July 4, 2025, under the auspices of Asian Netball Federation.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Haris Rauf likely to be fit for WI tour
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf will undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) after suffering a hamstring injury during the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 while representing the San Francisco Unicorns. According to reports, Rauf is expected to begin his rehab in the coming week. He was not included in Pakistan's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on July 20 in Dhaka. The rehabilitation process is expected to take approximately 10 to 12 days. If the right-arm pacer regains full fitness in time, he will be considered for selection for Pakistan's white-ball tour of the West Indies, scheduled for next month. Rauf has been a standout performer in MLC 2025, currently ranking as the second-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 9.08. On Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-member squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh. All-rounder Agha Salman will continue to captain the side, while vice-captain Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf were both ruled out due to injuries. Shadab recently underwent successful shoulder surgery in the UK. The procedure was performed on his right shoulder, which had been bothering him for some time. Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has opened ticket sales for the upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan. The T20I series will begin on July 31 at the Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, with the remaining two matches scheduled for August 2 and 3. This will be followed by a three-match ODI series in Trinidad, with matches scheduled for August 8, 10, and 12. The PCB had earlier proposed converting the ODI series into T20Is to provide more preparation for Pakistan in the shortest format ahead of the 2025 ACC Men's Asia Cup and the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, both of which will be played in the T20 format. However, despite ongoing discussions, CWI is reportedly inclined to stick with the originally agreed tour itinerary. While no official response has been issued yet, sources suggest the West Indies board is firm on retaining the current schedule, which includes both the T20I and ODI series. Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20I series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufyan Moqim. Earlier, Pakistan's T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, recently opened up in a candid interview with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), offering insights into his teammates' personalities and his own unique talents. Since taking on the T20I captaincy earlier this year, Agha has proven to be not only a leader on the field but also someone with a sense of humour off it. When asked to imagine his teammates in film roles, Agha had plenty of playful ideas. He placed Pakistan's top batter, Babar Azam, in the lead as the hero, while fast bowler Haris Rauf, with his fiery on-field persona, would fit the role of a villain. Agha also gave pacer Hasan Ali the title of the team's comedian and suggested Abdullah Shafique would be best suited for the role of a love-struck character. As for Fakhar Zaman, Agha cheekily cast him as a singer and said he would cast Zaman in a 'musical' role. Agha didn't stop there; he reflected on his own life choices, joking that if he weren't a cricketer, he would have likely been a businessman. He also revealed that, given a magical ability, he would erase social media platforms.


Express Tribune
17 hours ago
- Express Tribune
PSB disputes Netball federation's 'first position' claim, demands explanation
Members of Pakistan girls netball team pose with their medals along with PNF Chairman Mudassar Arain after winning the Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship in Jeonju-si, South Korea on Friday. PHOTO: PNF Listen to article The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has taken strong exception to what it termed a 'misleading' claim by the Pakistan Netball Federation (PNF) that the national youth girls' team secured first position at the Asian Youth Netball Championship 2025 in South Korea, seeking a written explanation within three days and warning that failure to respond could lead to further action. In an official letter issued on Sunday, the PSB referred to a communication from the PNF dated July 9, 2025, in which the federation claimed a first-place finish. The PSB stated that the wording of the letter appeared to imply a gold medal victory, potentially creating a misleading impression of the team's performance. The Board further noted that PNF Chairman Mudassar Razzaq Arain reinforced this narrative in televised interviews, explicitly referring to a 'gold medal' win and thanking senior government officials for their recognition. A viral clip of one such interview was also cited in the notice. Read More: Pakistan wins Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship by beating Maldives According to the PSB, the claim was subsequently used by the federation to apply for cash rewards under the 2024 Cash Award Policy, prompting official commendation and recognition at government level. The PSB has instructed the Netball Federation to submit a detailed written explanation within three days. It warned that failure to comply would result in the matter being escalated to the relevant authorities for further action. Copies of the notice have been dispatched to the federal ministers concerned, the Chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme, the Secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, and the President of the Pakistan Olympic Association. In response to the controversy, PNF Chairman Mudassar Razzaq Arain released a video statement in which he said the Sports Board may have misunderstood the situation. He maintained that the President of Asian Netball personally awarded medals to the Pakistani team for securing first position in their respective category, and clarified that the PSB had not extended any financial support for the team's participation in the event. Also Read: Netball victory Arain suggested that the Board may have been offended by one of his earlier remarks, using it as a pretext to issue the explanatory notice. 'We will soon hold a press conference to present all the facts,' he said. Pakistan capped an unbeaten run last week to win the Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship, defeating the Maldives 60-35 in the Plate Group final. Shabash 👏🏻 Pakistan 🇵🇰 wins the Asian Youth Girls Netball Championship 2025. A proud moment for the entire nation and yet another great milestone for 🇵🇰women in sports! Special appreciation for staying undefeated throughout the tournament! Very well played! — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 4, 2025 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the team on their victory, terming it a proud moment for the nation and a significant milestone for women in sports. It must be mentioned here that the PSB had disbursed sizeable grants to 22 sports federation earlier this month but chose to snub the PNF for reasons best known to it.


Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Japan beat Pakistan 3-0 to clinch Men's U-18 Asia Cup Hockey title
Japan clinched the Men's Under-18 Asia Cup 2025 title with a commanding 3-0 victory over Pakistan in the final at the National Hockey Training Centre on Sunday, bringing an end to Pakistan's unbeaten run in the tournament. The final saw Japan dominate both tactically and technically, taking advantage of Pakistan's conservative start. Unlike previous matches, Pakistan adopted a cautious, defensive strategy and failed to earn a single penalty corner until midway through the match. The first half remained goalless, despite Japan earning a penalty corner late in the first quarter — a chance they were unable to convert. Japan's Ueda Ryutaro was shown a green card just before the break, but Pakistan could not capitalise on the numerical advantage. Japan broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute through Fujiwara Yuma, who later doubled the lead in the third quarter to make it 2-0. Pakistan mounted a strong comeback attempt in the third quarter, earning six penalty corners in a span of minutes, but their inability to convert any of them proved costly. Japan's defence held firm, keeping the score at 2-0 heading into the final quarter. The Japanese side maintained their attacking momentum in the fourth quarter, winning three successive penalty corners and eventually sealing the match with a third goal, dashing Pakistan's hopes of a title win. Despite the defeat, Pakistan's overall performance in the tournament was commendable. They began their campaign with an emphatic 8-0 win over Hong Kong, followed by a crushing 9-0 victory against Sri Lanka. A 6-3 triumph over Bangladesh virtually confirmed their place in the knockout stage. In the quarter-finals, Pakistan overcame China 2-1, delivering a composed and dominant display. They then edged past Malaysia in a high-octane semi-final that ended 3-3 in regulation time and was decided via a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout.