130 Probables Turn-up For Focus On Fitness & Fielding Test

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Oct, 2016 ) : More than 130 young cricket aspirants age between 15-19 turned up for the Test on the opening day of the three-day Focus on Fitness and Fielding in Cricket here at Qayyum sports Complex on Saturday.

Talking to APP, Adviser to the Chairman Wapda on Sports Shafqat Rana, a former Pakistani cricketer who played in five Tests from 1964 to 1969, said that under Wapda Endowment Fund, trials for the selection of young cricketers through Focus on Fitness and Fielding program introduced last year.

We have taken a start from Peshawar wherein 130 players appeared and similarly such trials would be organized in seven other cities of Pakistan including Faisalabad, Multan, Sukkar, Hyderabad, Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, " Shafqat Rana added.

He said initially 40 players will be short-listed out of the total appeared on all eight centers and among them after further training and coaching under qualified coaches five final players would be shortlisted from each of the city to make a total strength of 40 players.

After short-listing 40 players from all eight centers like five from each of the city, the selected probable would be kept under qualified PCB and Pakistan Wapda coaches like Sajjad Khan, Haji Akbar, five players would be named for the final selection.

These selected players would be awarded cash prizes. The first one will get Rs, 0.1 million, second would get Rs. 50,000 and the rest of the three selected players will receive Rs. 25000 each. He said the aim and objective of the Focus on Fitness and fielding is to improve the overall standard of the Pakistani cricketers involved in the game.

Wapda has initiated such step only to encourage the youth.

Head of the delegates during trail session Hasnain Ahmad, Usman Khan, Sajjad Khan, Haji Fazali Akbar, international Nadeem Khan, Asif Khan, former national footballer Salahuddin, Sports Officer PESCO and former national volleyball team skipper Shahid Hussain and coach Zafran Afridi were also present.

Along with the cricket fielding Test, evaluation Test of those already enrolled under Wapda Endowment Fund in Squash, Boxing, Athletic were also conducted. Muhammad Asif, Nadeem Khan and Hasnain Ahmad got the evaluation Test to be conducted after every six months to evaluate the performance of the players enrolled under WEF.

In the female squash at junior level both Komal Khan and Laiba Ijaz appeared in the Evolution Test that including Cones-drill for 10sec, chin-ups, push-ups, 100m, 400m and 800 race besides long jump, high jumps and javelin throw.

Two female squash players in junior Komal Khan, and Laiba Ijaz along with two junior boys Junaid Khan and Zeeshan Khan appeared in squash, followed by athletics wherein total seven athletes went through rigorous Test.

The evaluation Test mean to assess the performance of the players enrolled under WEF, Usman Ahmad told APP during the Test. He said they have started their journey from Peshawar, followed by seven other cities of Pakistan.

He said as desired by Adviser to the Chairman Wapda on Sports Shafqat Rana such Test are being conducted openly to give ample opportunities to the youth to show their hidden talent without any discrimination. He said in cricket fielding they would select five each from all eight centers before going for final selection. APP/ijz/rn