LAHORE (AM Khan): Lahore Qalandars and Prime Minister’s Youth Program picked up 15 boys and 15 girls from the two-day talent hunt trials that concluded successfully in Karachi.
The trials took place at NED University, where thousands of aspiring cricketers participated with hopes of joining the Qalandars system. Following the trials, coaches Marina Iqbal and Riaz Afridi, along with Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana, announced the selected players in a press conference. Atif Rana said that the massive turnout reflects the trust of youth in Lahore Qalandars. “Our player development journey began 10 years ago, and many of top players emerged from this very program. Prime Minister’s endorsement of our work empowered us to take this initiative nationwide.”
He added that nearly 15,000 male and female players came forward in Karachi, showing their faith in the Qalandars system. “From here, we will move to Hyderabad and eventually form five teams from Sindh,” he added. Atif Rana said that under the program, five teams each will be formed from every province, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. These teams will participate in regional tournaments, from which the best players will qualify for the national tournament. The top national performers will be trained at Lahore Qalandars High-Performance Center.
Coaches Marina Iqbal and Riaz Afridi praised the raw talent and enthusiasm shown by players during the Karachi trials. The selected girls team (Karachi) includes Yesri Aamir, Alizeh Sabir, Arija Haseeb, Aamna Zahid, Taskeen Fatima, Kainat Iman, Aneza Arif, Syeda Batool Fatima, Shabnam Hayat, Masooma Jafri, Ubeera Riaz, Faiqa Tariq, Arij Aamir, Maryam Ahmed, Isha Naeem.
The selected boys team (Karachi) comprises Arman Shehzad, Abdullah Javed, Muhammad Siddiq, Umar Farooq, Zain Anwar, Hamza Malik, Ali Shoaib, M. Shaheer, M. Furman, Naveedullah, Syed Zain, Abdul Rauf, Muaz Shah Afridi, Abdul Jaleel, Syed Rehan Shah.
The newly selected boys and girls players thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chairman of PMYP Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan for partnering with Lahore Qalandars in this nationwide talent hunt that will play a pivotal role in unearthing genuine cricketing talent from every corner of the country. They also thanked Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana and COO Sameen Rana and vowed to make the most of this opportunity and prove their talent on the national stage.
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