PESHAWAR
Girls College City Gulbahar clinched the trophy of the Inter-College Girls Rugby Championship organized under the aegis of Pakistan Rugby Federation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rugby Association with the collaboration of Higher Education Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa here at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University on Tuesday.
Deputy Director Sports and former national athlete Mariyyah Samin Jan was the chief guest at the opening ceremony in the morning while Deputy Director Youth Affairs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former international handball player Arshad Hussain graced the occasion at the closing ceremony on the same day in the afternoon.
Besides her, Organizing Secretary Najma Qazi, Secretary KP Rugby Association Hassan Khan, Director Rugby Training and Development Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Noor Aslam Afridi, Officials of the Pakistan Rugby Federation and selection committee headed by Mariyyah Samin with members comprising Afsheen Khan, Huma Gul and Najma Qazi were also present during the day long matches.
A total of five women colleges teams including Government Girls Degree College Zaryab Colony, Govt Girls Degree College Nahaqi, Peshawar, High School Auqaf, Tangai, District Charsadda.
In the first match City Gulbahar defeated High School Auqaf, Tangai, District Charsadda after a tough fight by 2-1 score, followed by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University recorded victory against Govt Girls Degree College Zaryab and Govt Girls Degree College Nahaqi by a same margin of score 2-1.
It was the third position match between Nahaqi and High School Auqaf, Tangai, District Charsadda which was won by the High School Auqaf at 3-1 score. High School Auqaf also registered victory against Govt Girls Degree College Zaryab by 2-1 while the match between City Gulbahar and Nahaqi decided in favour of City Gulbahar at 3-0.
After the Pool matches, the final match was played between Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University and Girls College City Gulbahar Peshawar which was won by City Gulbahar at 3-2. The final match provided great thrill for the sitting spectators and both the teams Girls College City Gulbahar and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University gave each other a tough fight. Both the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of the first session, it was the second session in which Laiba of City Gulbahar scored two timely goals by giving a consolidated victory to her team. Laiba was later on declared as the best player of the tournament while High School Auqaf, Tangai, District Charsadda was awarded fair play trophy.
Deputy Director Mariyyah Samin, Deputy Director Youth Affairs Arshad Hussain, Director Pakistan Rugby Training and Development Academy, Dara Adam Khail, Noor Aslam Afridi gave away trophies, medals and cash prizes to the position holders teams. Girls College City Gulbahar got the winner trophy and Rs. 7000 as cash prize while Rs. 3000 each given to runners-up team Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University and third position trophy and cash prize given to High School Auqaf, Tangai, District Charsadda. Govt Girls Degree College Nahaqi took fourth position while Govt Girls College Zaryab got overall fifth position.
Speaking on this occasion, Noor Aslam Afridi said that the selection committee short-listed 20 players who would be kept in the camp for training under the aegis of qualified coach Hassan Khan. After the 15-days camp, the team would play three matches in against Rugby Academy teams of Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad.
He said all our resources would be utilized to provide the best playing environment to the female players as well. He said Pakistan Rugby Federation has already chalked out a play to promote women Rugby all across Pakistan including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
