Sports Room | Najeeb-ul-Husnain | ARY News | 16th August 2024
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Follow the ARY News channel on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/46e5HzY
Subscribe to our channel and press the bell icon for latest news updates: http://bit.ly/3e0SwKP
ARY News is a leading Pakistani news channel that promises to bring you factual and timely international stories and stories about Pakistan, sports, entertainment, and business, amid others.
Transcript
00:00Asalam-o-Alaikum, hello and welcome to Sports Room, I am your host Najeeb Ulhas,
00:18Ladies and gentlemen, the important step of Pakistan Mixed Martial Arts Federation,
00:22the return of Pakistan after 6 years of Brave Combat Federation,
00:26the inauguration of Pakistan Mixed Martial Arts Championship,
00:29will start from 18th August in Lahore,
00:32along with the traditional Harif Bharat,
00:34180 athletes from all over the world will participate.
00:37You will be able to see the action live,
00:39on Pakistan's first sports HD channel, A-Sports,
00:43and live streaming on ARYZ.
00:46Yes, you saw the promo, it will be a very exciting event,
00:49I am looking forward to it a lot.
00:52At the moment, President of Pakistan MMA Federation,
00:54Mr. Umar Ahmed is with us, let's talk to him.
00:56Mr. Umar, tell us, this MMA event is taking place in Pakistan after 6 years,
01:01and what happened 6 years ago was also great,
01:04but this is bigger than ever,
01:06and this is the first time Asian Championship is taking place in Pakistan,
01:10so there are a lot of expectations, what will you say?
01:13Yes, Brave CF is one of the biggest promotions in the world,
01:17and it is said to be the most global promotion in the world,
01:19because it holds events in 37 different countries every year,
01:23and it is coming back to Pakistan after 2018.
01:26And this time, not only Brave CF is coming,
01:28Pakistan MMA Federation has successfully secured the Asian Championship,
01:33in which teams from 12 countries are coming,
01:35and around 160 athletes are coming to participate.
01:39We have approved 280 foreign visas,
01:44and we have a lot of support from the government,
01:47we are very thankful to the government.
01:49This, by far, is the biggest sporting event Pakistan has ever done.
01:53Before this, Pakistan has held SEHAB Games, which are South Asian Games,
01:56before that Pakistan held the 1996 World Cup.
01:59In any event, more than 7-8 teams have exceeded.
02:04This is the first event in which athletes from 12 countries are coming to compete.
02:08So this is a matter of pride for Pakistan.
02:10Yes, obviously, this is a big event, and everyone is very excited about it.
02:13You are working alone for the promotion of mixed martial arts,
02:17shouldn't the government and the sports board play their part?
02:21It's a new sport, and its popularity among youth is very high.
02:28We realized through data analytics,
02:31that if you look at TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube,
02:3516-21 year olds like MMA and combat sports videos the most,
02:43like them, engage with them, and share them.
02:45We are number two on Facebook, cricket is number one,
02:49but all other social media platforms between 16-21 years old,
02:54this is the most popular sport.
02:56Khabib, McGregor, Adesanya, our youth look up to them and follow them.
03:02Definitely, the government should support us in this.
03:07But I have a different opinion, that every sport has an economy.
03:12Take cricket for example, it has a lot of viewership,
03:15it has its own economy, it has PSL, ICC-based events.
03:19In the same way, as Pakistan MMA Federation, we tried to create an economy.
03:24Now look at our professional fighters who are fighting in the ring,
03:27they get paid in dollars, they get 3-4 fights a year.
03:30They make a reasonable amount of money.
03:32In the same way, when they reach the world championship level,
03:35or when they sign for the UFC, that money is going to increase.
03:38They can make up to 1 million, 1.5 million a year.
03:40As you said, there are a lot of fighters.
03:42India, our traditional Harif is also a part of it.
03:46So how is the preparation for Pakistani fighters?
03:49We are very excited that we will compete with India.
03:53And apart from that, other teams are coming,
03:56Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, they are one of the most favorite teams
04:00because MMA is embedded in their culture.
04:03Apart from that, Bahrain's team is very strong.
04:05So Asia is the powerhouse of MMA in the world.
04:08Mostly in the world championship, the top 10 teams,
04:116-7 teams are from Asia.
04:13The Pakistan team is a very experienced team
04:16because for 3-4 years, they have been competing regularly in the IMMF.
04:22And I am sure that we will definitely secure 8-10 medals for Pakistan.
04:28Umar Ahmed, President, Pakistan MMA Federation was with us.
04:32Wishing you very best of luck.
04:33Let's hope this event is successful.
04:36And this event plays a very important role in promoting MMA.
04:42Moving on, let's talk about cricket.
04:45And on the Bangladesh and Pakistan series,
04:47let me tell you that both teams are busy preparing.
04:50The Pakistani team is training in Pindi and Bangladesh is training in Lahore.
04:55Our representative from Pindi is Raja Mohsin.
04:58Let's talk to him about the preparations of the Pakistani team.
05:01Raja Mohsin, tell us, the Pakistani team is practicing.
05:05What is the routine? What is going on?
05:07Look, the practice sessions of the Pakistan cricket team so far
05:11have been affected more than the rain.
05:14So far, a lot of practice sessions have been done by the Pakistan cricket team.
05:19And the players, in the beginning, after the running,
05:22we saw that along with batting and bowling,
05:25they paid special attention to fielding.
05:27Along with this, the head coach, Jason Gillespie,
05:30we saw that he has spent a lot of time with the bowlers
05:34who are currently practicing in Pindi Cricket Stadium.
05:39Because many of the players of this Pakistan test squad
05:43are also part of Pakistan Shines,
05:45which is involved in a four-day match with Bangladesh in Islamabad Club.
05:49So, the Pakistan team is preparing in full swing.
05:52And we saw that the wickets that have been prepared in Pindi Cricket Stadium so far,
05:58and the way the Pakistani spinner, Ibrahim Ahmed,
06:01also did a media talk the other day.
06:03So, the possibility is that Pakistan will make a supporting wicket in this match,
06:10which will especially help the fast bowlers.
06:12And Pakistan will go with the fast bowlers in this match.
06:16And the other day, Ibrahim Ahmed gave a clear indication of this in his media talk.
06:23Okay, tell me,
06:24now the teams will be decided according to the conditions.
06:28I want to know,
06:29there will be no disturbance due to the weather.
06:31This Rawalpindi test match is starting from the 21st.
06:35What will be the effect of the weather?
06:38Look, according to the weather,
06:40according to the prediction of the local Met Office,
06:42the possibility of rain is being increased.
06:45And if we talk about the last two weeks,
06:48there is continuous rain in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
06:51As I was saying earlier,
06:53the Pakistan cricket team's practice sessions were affected.
06:56Some practice sessions had to be cancelled due to the bad weather.
07:00Similarly, the four-day match between Pakistan A and Bangladesh A in Islamabad Club,
07:06we saw that the first day,
07:09the match could have started a little earlier than T.
07:12The toss was also affected by the rain.
07:14After that, the next two days,
07:16one day the match was played and then it was affected by the rain.
07:19Even today, the match started near T.
07:23And the next day,
07:25on the 21st, Pakistan's test match is starting.
07:28So even in these days,
07:29the prediction has been made by the Met Office
07:31that the weather will be bad here
07:34and the possibility of rain is being shown.
07:38Thank you very much Rajesh for being with us.
07:40And regarding the weather,
07:42when this test match starts on the 21st,
07:45the weather can get bad.
07:46There are also chances of rain.
07:48It's time for a break.
07:49Don't go anywhere.
08:05Glad to have you back once again to Sports Room.
08:07And before the break,
08:08we were talking about the preparation of the Bangladesh team for Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
08:14Now let's talk about the preparation of the Bangladesh team.
08:16Shahzad Malik, our representative, is with us from Lahore.
08:19Shahzad, please tell me,
08:20how are the preparations for Bangladesh going?
08:22And the update so far,
08:24will they leave for Rawalpindi tomorrow?
08:27Yes, Najeeb.
08:28The Bangladesh test squad
08:31practiced here for three days in the morning sessions in Qadhafi Stadium.
08:37For about two and a half to three hours,
08:39on a daily basis,
08:40they did net practice,
08:42fielding practice,
08:43and also physical training.
08:45Because of the situation in Bangladesh,
08:47they couldn't get training there.
08:49That's why the Pakistan Cricket Board,
08:51by showing a goodwill gesture,
08:53invited the Bangladesh Cricket Board
08:55to come here and practice.
08:57So that's why the Bangladesh team came here before 17.
09:01So now,
09:02after practicing for three days,
09:04the team will leave for Islamabad tomorrow morning.
09:08After that,
09:09they will practice in Rawalpindi for two to three days.
09:11And after that,
09:12on 21st August,
09:14the first test will be played
09:16between Pakistan and Bangladesh
09:18in Rawalpindi.
09:20And before that,
09:22during the practice sessions,
09:24their spin bowling coach,
09:26Mushtaq Ahmed,
09:27did a press conference.
09:29And today,
09:30their fast bowler also did a press conference.
09:32And he is very hopeful.
09:33And he also thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board.
09:36And he said,
09:37we are getting good training here.
09:39And we have got a lot of help
09:41from the conditions here.
09:43Thank you very much,
09:45Shehzad.
09:46Shehzad himself spoke to us.
09:48Mushtaq Ahmed did a press conference.
09:50He is their spin bowling coach from Bangladesh.
09:52He said,
09:53the combination will be decided
09:55by looking at the condition of Rawalpindi.
09:58And he also said,
09:59the Pakistan team also needs
10:01an excellent spin bowling coach.
10:03What did he say?
10:04Let's have a look.
10:05When you come to the competition,
10:08you are going to win matches.
10:10When you are talking about spin bowling coach,
10:12PCB will definitely have to think about that.
10:21PCB is doing one great thing always,
10:23called Bangladesh Cricket Board.
10:25The things are not good in your country,
10:27bring your team earlier.
10:28We will look after you.
10:29And that's a call of brotherhood.
10:31Great relationship.
10:32The proactively PCB has decided,
10:34we should give them a credit.
10:36Cricket will always be strong.
10:38There are grassroots programs.
10:40I think Bangladesh is also thinking about it.
10:42Abrar Ahmed says,
10:43hard work is my job.
10:45To play or not to play,
10:46is the decision of the management.
10:48What does he have to say?
10:49Let's have a look.
10:50There is no problem with injury.
10:52I was with the team in the World Cup.
10:54Rest,
10:55to play or not to play,
10:57team management decides.
11:00My job is,
11:02on a daily basis,
11:04to improve my bowling.
11:06It is in my hands,
11:08to improve my bowling,
11:09and do my workout.
11:11The effort is to be the team's main spinner.
11:13And as far as ICC Championship is concerned,
11:16team management will decide.
11:18Let's talk about Bangladesh's fast bowler,
11:20Sharif-ul-Islam.
11:21He says,
11:22he wants to take the wicket of Babur Azam.
11:26Alhamdulillah, thanks to PCB.
11:28It's a really nice facility for practice.
11:30They are world-class batsmen,
11:32but we have good bowling attacks,
11:36so we need to fight back with them.
11:39It's hard for us also,
11:41because they are home ground.
11:43We need to adjust.
11:45I think Babur Azam's staff is better for Pakistan,
11:48for us.
11:49We need to out Babur Azam early.
11:51My dream wicket is Babur Azam.
11:54If I get Babur Azam,
11:56I'm really happy with that,
11:57because he's a nice man also.
12:28To talk about this,
12:30our sports correspondent, Shahid Hashmi is with us.
12:33Shahid,
12:34this is a big step of ARY communication
12:37for the distribution of cricket.
12:41Absolutely,
12:42and it's a good news for the fans.
12:44When it comes to cricket,
12:46and national cricket,
12:48ARY has always put forward
12:50that the distribution of cricket,
12:52Pakistan's cricket,
12:54is always a priority for ARY.
12:56We have shown two T20 World Cups in A-sports,
12:59and one ODI World Cup in A-sports.
13:03It's not just coverage,
13:05but post-match and pre-match ceremonies
13:08are popular all over the world.
13:10After PSL,
13:12the domestic home series of Pakistan
13:15will be shown for two years.
13:17There are big series in this,
13:19starting with Bangladesh,
13:21then three test matches in England,
13:23Australia's series in 2026,
13:25South Africa's series,
13:27West Indies' series,
13:29and a tri-nation series.
13:31After a long time,
13:33there is a tri-nation series in Pakistan,
13:35South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan,
13:37which will be before Champions Trophy.
13:39That tri-series will also be shown in A-sports.
13:41It's a big step,
13:43and for Shahid Hashmi,
13:45it's a chance to enjoy
13:47Pakistan's home international series.
13:49Thank you very much,
13:51Shahid Hashmi was with us,
13:53and we know that all the teams
13:55coming to Pakistan in the next two years,
13:57you will be able to watch all the series
13:59on Pakistan's first HD Sports channel,
14:01A-sports and TEN Sports.
14:03Moving on,
14:05Ali Hassan is with us at National Stadium,
14:07Karachi,
14:09and Tazino Araish's work is going on there.
14:11As you all know,
14:13preparations are underway for the Champions Trophy.
14:15Over to Ali.
14:17The second match of the test series
14:19is scheduled for 30th August,
14:21but unfortunately,
14:23cricket fans will not be able to watch
14:25the live action at National Stadium,
14:27as the Pakistan Cricket Board has issued an
14:29announcement saying that construction
14:31work is underway at National Stadium,
14:33and this match will be played
14:35without the fans.
14:37Those who have purchased tickets
14:39will be refunded.
14:41On the other hand,
14:43England has to tour in October,
14:45and Pakistan has a test match schedule in Karachi.
14:47To assess security arrangements,
14:49the Pakistan Cricket Delegate
14:51visited the stadium yesterday
14:53and gave a security briefing.
14:55A lot of cricket will be played,
14:57but right now,
14:59the main task of the Pakistan Cricket Board
15:01is to prepare for the Champions Trophy,
15:03and construction work is underway
15:05at National Stadium.
15:07Thank you very much, Ali Hassan,
15:09for being with us.
15:11This is all for today.
15:13Goodbye.