RAWALPINDI : Former MNA Hanif Abbasi inaugurated the third edition of the Shahbaz Sharif T20 union councils cricket tournament here at the Government Degree College, Satellite Town.
Test cricketer M Wasim, Saqlain Mushtaq, PTV Director Sports Dr Nauman Niaz, MNA Malik Abrar Hussain, MPA Raja M Hanif and other political persons and businessmen were also present on the occasion.
A total of 21 union council teams will be in action in the event, which concludes on January 7. Abbasi announced that Rs 300,000 would be given to the winners, Rs 200,000 to runners-up, Rs 5000 each for man of the match. “The champion team will be taken to different cities and play matches against the respective regional teams.”
Abbasi also announced to name the second blue astroturf hockey stadium, to be constructed at Government Viqar-un-Nisa College, after Shahbaz Senior. He also announced that synthetic turf arriving from UK would be laid at Municipal Stadium Football ground and Government Degree College ground. He announced that it was his challenge to KP government to show a single cricket ground like he had constructed in Rawalpindi and termed Rawalpindi as role model for other cities after having three floodlight cricket venues for males and one floodlight cricket ground for females.
Interestingly, it was more a political show rather than a sports event, as Test cricketers, Olympian Shahbaz Senior and other sporting icons were completely ignored while political figures, union councils chairmen, vice chairmen, councilors, businessmen and ruling party starlets were occupying the stage. Sanober Gul was hired for announcement, who even didn’t know the ABC of sports.
