ICC U19 Cricket World Cup: Pakistan Tops Group B After Beating Sri Lanka

Pakistan rode on a fine all-round performance by Hasan Mohsin to defeat Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the last league match and top Group B in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Mohsin top-scored with 86 and then rattled Sri Lanka with two early wickets as Pakistan fought back after being dismissed for 212 to bowl its rival out for 189 in Mirpur.

Pakistan will take on the West Indies in the fourth quarter-final in Fatullah on 8 February. Sri Lanka, which finished second in the group, meets England on 7 February in Mirpur.

Pakistan’s total was built around Mohsin’s attractive run-a-ball innings which was studded with eight hits to the fence and a six.

Pakistan was struggling at 96-4 after being sent in to bat on a hazy morning when Mohsin stepped in to stem the rot with a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket with Salman Fayyaz (33).

Mohsin, who was on 61 at the fall of the seventh wicket, smashed 23 runs in the 47th over bowled by seamer Asitha Fernando which included five runs for an overthrow.

Moshin was bowled in the next over, trying to reverse sweep left-arm spinner Damitha Silva, who finished with two wickets for 41 runs.

Thilan Nimesh and Wanidu Hasaranga also claimed two wickets each, but ambidextrous 17-year-old Kamindu Mendis caught the eye with his rare talent to bowl both right-arm off-breaks and left-arm spin.

South Africa U19 cricket team player Liam Smith batting action during the U19 cricket World Cup against Bangladesh U19 cricket team at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong,Bangladesh photo credit: ICC

Mendis gave away 21 runs in four wicketless overs.

Mohsin, who was later named man of the match, stung early in Sri Lanka’s reply, grabbing the first two wickets by the sixth over with his medium-pace bowling.

Sri Lanka was reduced to 63-4 before Mendis, who bats left-handed, scored 68 and Vishad Randika made 46 while adding 84 for the fifth wicket.

Pakistan kept the pressure on the batsmen to clinch victory in the 47th over as leg-spinner Shadab Khan finished with three for 31 runs. Sameen Gul, Mohsin and Ahmad Shafiq shared six wickets between them.

Pakistan captain Zeeshan Malik said defeating Sri Lanka had lifted the team’s morale for the quarter-final against the West Indies.

“I think we played very good cricket today, both with the bat and ball,” he said. “Mohsin was very good but all the bowlers did well.

“We look forward to our quarter-final and hopefully we will go beyond that as well.”

Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka blamed the defeat on the batsmen’s inability to string partnerships, but said his team did not fear England.

“The batting went wrong today,” he said. “The top order batsmen couldn’t score runs and form partnerships. Mendis and Randika had a good stand but we couldn’t do our job in the end.

“England is a good side. We played each other in December. But I think the conditions will support us. Our spinners are in good form, so I think this will be an advantage for us.”

Scores in brief:

Group B – Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 23 runs in Mirpur
Pakistan 212 all, 48.4 overs (Hasan Mohsin 86, Salman Fayyaz 33; Damitha Silva 2-41, Thilan Nimesh 2-38, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-30)
Sri Lanka 189 all out, 46.4 overs (Kamindu Mendis 68, Vishad Randika 46; Shadab Khan 3-31, Sameen Gul 2-29, Hasan Mohsin 2-28, Ahmad Shafiq 2-23)

Thursday’s matches:
4 Feb – South Africa v Ireland; New Zealand v Scotland, Cox’s Bazaar

Quarter-finals (Super League)
5 Feb – Bangladesh v Nepal, Mirpur
6 Feb – India v Namibia, Fatullah
7 Feb – England v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
8 Feb – Pakistan v West Indies, Fatullah

Quarter-finals (Plate Championship):
5 Feb – Afghanistan v Fiji; Canada v Zimbabwe, Cox’s Bazaar

NTTF U-16 National League to debut

Each state across the country is expected to present two boys and two girls while the top eight players in the boys and girls event will qualify for the Super League

To unearth talents that will join the growing list of players already discovered, the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) is organizing U-16 national league that will involve players across the country.

The league is meant to give new players the opportunity to make the various national junior teams as well as work their way into the senior team.

It will hold on March 29 to April 8 at the National Training Centre inside the National Stadium Surulere Lagos, while the grand finale which is known as the Super League will hold on May the 14th at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Each state across the country is expected to present two boys and two girls while the top eight players in the boys and girls event will qualify for the Super League.

According to the prospectus of the tournament, states wishing to participate will register with the NTTF, while only the first 20 boys teams and the first 16 girls teams to register for the League shall be accepted to participate.

The tournament prospectus also states that only players registered by states which are affiliated to NTTF are eligible to participate, and only players with the current NTTF Player’s License, (which must be produced on demand) will be allowed to participate in the League.

Abayomi Animasahun, OF Nigeria, photo credit ITTFworld

The President of NTTF, Wahid Oshodi Said: More talented players would be given the opportunity to showcase their skills to the national handlers.

“I think our focus in 2016 as in 2015 is that we must continue to develop the junior and cadet players. We must give our most talented young players the right atmosphere for them to grow. This of course means giving them the best coaching and affording them the opportunity to play in tournaments internationally so we can assess how well they are doing against the best young players in the world”

“We have done quite well in this regard in the last two years but there are a lot more gifted players all over the country and we must do our best to discover and harness them. We hope to be able to create new tournaments outside Lagos and Abuja. If we can find the right partnerships with the private sector this will assist greatly in boosting the spread of the game all over the country,” Oshodi Concluded”.

Egypt In Peak Preparation For Women’s African Olympic Qualification

2015 Women’s African Olympic Qualifiers

Egypt Women’s Volleyball team will on Tuesday start their final stage of preparation for the 2016 Women’s African Olympic Qualification tournament due to start in Cameroon from February 12 to 16, 2016 through a training camp in Slovenia.

The camp that will last a week will include 3 friendly matches against the Slovenian national team and clubs, before they jet to Cameroon on the 10th of February to participate in the Olympic Qualifier’s.

Egypt’s Head coach selected the final squad of 14 players without the veteran middle blocker Ingy El Shami who suffered a crutiate ligament tear last year.

The final squad includes Shorouk Foad, Doaa Abdel Ghani, Aya Elshami, Aya Khalid, Farida Elaskalany, Haidi Kandel, Mariem Metwally, Nahla Sameh, Nada Meawad, Kenzi Asem, Rahma Elmohandis, Sarah Amin, Nihal Gamal and Mariem Moustafa.

The African qualifiers includes 7 teams who will fight for the African ticket to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, while the second and third will earn another chance to qualify through the World Olympic Qualifications tournaments.

Egypt Womens Volleyball team

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FIVB Volleyball World Championships Qualification Process To Be Confirmed By Confederations

The FIVB Sports Events Council approved on Tuesday the concept of the qualification process for each continent for the FIVB Volleyball World Championships in 2018, which will take place in Japan (women) and Italy and Bulgaria (men) in 2018, being confirmed by respective confederations.

Each Continental Confederation will be responsible for their own qualification process and the Confederations will inform the FIVB on their agreed system by April 1, 2016.

The qualification system will be played between May 15, 2016 and October 15, 2017.

The Drawing of Lots for the FIVB Volleyball World Championships 2018 will take place by December 2017 using the FIVB World Ranking as of September 30, 2017.

World champions USA (women) and Poland (men) are automatically qualified and are joined by the host counties Japan (women) and Italy and Bulgaria (men) in not having to participate in the qualification process.

A proposal for the competition formula will be made to the FIVB Board of Administration meeting in April however the Sports Events Council did confirm the following points:
– same formula for men and women’s competition
– simple formula / easy to communicate to audience
– minimum number of matches guaranteed → 5 matches
– number of matches for the winning team → 11 to 13 matches
– maximum of 21 days of competition (2 or 3 matches per day)
– Since it is the first time that two countries host an FIVB World Championship, Italy and Bulgaria will be kept separate for the first two phases during the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2018.

Organisers Give Reasons For GOtv Boxing NextGen Search

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The organisers of GOtv Boxing Night have explained why they are holding GOtv Boxing NextGen Search, slated to take place in Lagos between 17 and 19 February.

In an interview in Lagos, Jenkins Alumona, CEO Flykite Sports and promoter of GOtv Boxing Night, said GOtv NextGen Search has been conceived to raise a fresh crop of professional boxers to replace the current stars when they eventually hang their gloves.

According to Alumona, GOtv Boxing NextGen Search was conceived to widen access into the professional category for young professional boxers and amateurs aspiring to turn professional. The search, he added, will widen the pool from which boxer for the hugely successful GOtv Boxing Night will be selected.

“GOtv Boxing NextGen Search is being held in association with the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control and it will offer a launch pad into the big time for talented boxers from any part of the country. The event is open to professional boxers and those who wish to turn pro,” explained Alumona.

The event, which will feature five distinguished boxing coaches as judges, will open on 17 February with the unveiling of the partnership between GOtv Boxing Night and the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame at the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame Gym, Olatilewa Street, Surulere, Lagos. The same day, sparring sessions by boxers registered for the event will begin and continue the next day and at the same venue under the watchful eyes of accomplished coaches, who will then select the brightest talents.

The concluding part of event, which will hold at the Old Skool Restaurant of the National Stadium in Lagos, will be devoted to free medical examination for boxers who make the grade. Selected boxers will also have the opportunity of attending a sports /medical seminar to be addressed by famous sports personalities and doctors on how boxers can take care of themselves and grow in the sport.

Each boxer who makes the cut will have his boxing licence paid for by the sponsors, GOtv Boxing Night.