Sound system breakdown mars Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup media briefing

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The media briefing of the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Cricket Tournament 2016, offering a record prize money of Rupees two million, was marred by the persistent sound system breakdown here at the Karachi Gymkhana Banquet Hall on Tuesday.

It caused considerable embarrassment to the dignitaries, who had to endure problems in conveying their message across to the media corps present on the occasion. 

The details about the four-week event, which will be getting underway at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium on June 28, were unfolded by Tournament Director, Riazuddin, who is also an international umpire. 

The prize money of the tournament has been enhanced to Rupees two million with the winners to collect a rich purse of Rupees one million and the runners-up to receive Rs half a million. 

Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, in his presidential address, shared the vision of his conglomerate which aims to contribute its bit in the promotion of sports in general and cricket in particular in the city of Karachi. 

�The Lawai Cricket Stadium in Naya Nazimabad, having floodlights besides many other facilities, remains occupied throughout the year. We also have developed a football stadium which will be inaugurated soon. We will be developing a hockey stadium as well soon. Additionally an indoor sports complex is also being built right next to the cricket ground,� he announced. 

�Our objective is to make Sports City at Naya Nazimabad, whose facilities could be utilized by the inhabitants of all over the metropolis. It will help immensely in sports promotion,� Arif Habib declared. 

Speaking on the occasion, Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, expressed his delight at the development of the outstanding facilities for cricket matches at the Lawai Stadium. 

�Our team has been playing the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup since its inception and we are thrilled by the atmosphere at the ground. The cricketers have thoroughly enjoyed performing under floodlights in the most peaceful of environment,� he observed. 

�Judging by the success of its previous editions, I have no doubt in my mind that it has become the premier tournament of the city to be organized during the holy month of Ramazan,� Nadeem Omar declared. 

Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, President, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), also appreciated the endeavours of the Arif Habib Group in the development of cricket facilities which will be helpful in raising the standard of the game. 

He commended the organizers of the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup for holding the tournament professionally since its inception three years ago and hoped that the ground will be playing host to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in not too distant future. 

Besides former Test cricketers, Jalaluddin, Shoaib Mohammad, Saleem Yousuf, Ejaz Faqih and Nadeem Khan, the ceremony was also attended by Samad Habib, CEO, Naya Nazimabad, Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), and Mohammad Iqbal, Director Sports, Naya Nazimabad. 

Meanwhile the 16 participating teams in the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Cricket Tournament 2016 have been divided equally in four groups. National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has been drawn in the Group A which also contains Dollar East, Heroes Cricket Club and Atiq Estate while the quartet of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Eaton Cricket Club and Dawood Sports constitute the Group B. 

Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC), Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SSGPL), Alamgir Gymkhana and Medicam have been placed in the Group C while the Group D features United Bank Limited (UBL), Omar Associates, K-Electric and Qasmi Cricket Club.

Naya Nazimabad Football Stadium set to become next big thing

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A football stadium of international standards is nearing completion in Naya Nazimabad and it will soon be made available for hosting matches, much to the delight of the local sports fraternity. 

The infrastructure projects hold lifeline to the development of sports and it�s very heartening indeed to find such a wonderful football stadium getting ready to become the next big thing in the city. 

It�s going to be the fulfillment of another dream of Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, who has already created waves in the sporting community by having developed the Lawai Stadium in Naya Nazimabad which is acclaimed as the most picturesque cricket ground of Karachi. 

It�s the vision of Arif Habib, one of the leading entrepreneurs of the country, besides his passion for sports, which has resulted in the development of cricket and football stadiums of international standard in Naya Nazimabad. 

Mohammad Iqbal, Director Sports, Naya Nazimabad, disclosed recently that the football ground, measuring 180 feet by 300 feet has a fully grassy field and the dugouts as well as the goal posts have already been installed. 

�The pavilion is under-construction and it will be ready very soon. The floodlights will be installed in the second phase which will also be completed in 2015. By the end of the year the floodlit Naya Nazimabad Football Stadium would be looking forward to become a most popular venue for the sport,� he observed. 

Mohammad Iqbal, a former cricketer, brings with him vast experience of sports administration as he headed the MCB�s sports department for a number of years, having remained associated in the development of infrastructure projects in the past as well. 

He has already proved his mettle at Naya Nazimabad as well where, with the total support of the Arif Habib Group and the proactive involvement of the top officials of the Javedan Corporation, the facilities for sports are being developed of the highest standard. 

The manner in which the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium has been developed and maintained speaks volumes of the professional management and the extraordinary efforts having been put in. It�s quite remarkable how such a fantastic ground has been developed in incredibly quick time. More significantly it�s also being maintained properly. 

They have already staged a couple of editions of the Naya Nazimabad Peace Cup Cricket Tournament, under floodlights. In fact the knockout matches of the 2nd Peace Cup were telecast live. It was an accomplishment of sorts for the event having gone on air in only its second year. 

It seems a matter of time for the Lawai Stadium to start hosting matches of the national cricket tournaments, organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on a regular basis. It�s a welcome addition to the list of well maintained cricket grounds in the city. 

The phenomenal success of the cricket stadium and the desire of the promoters of the massive housing project to patronize sports in their arena there�s very little doubt in one�s mind about the Naya Nazimabad Football Stadium becoming talk of the town in the not too distant future. 

It will be a particularly pleasing sight for the residents of Naya Nazimabad to have a high-quality football stadium, besides one for cricket, in their own backyard. Besides using the facilities themselves they will also get the rare opportunity of watching the star players in action in their own locality.