Rawalpindi Basketball Tournament Revives City’s Sporting Activities

RAWALPINDI: (Web Desk) – A major breakthrough for basketball in Rawalpindi has finally come after nearly two decades, as the Rawalpindi Basketball Association successfully organized the “Twin City Basketball Tournament” at the DHA Basketball Court. The event revived competitive basketball activities in the city and attracted strong interest from players and fans alike.

One of the highlights of the tournament was the impressive comeback of Falcons Club, one of Rawalpindi’s oldest and most respected basketball teams. The club delivered outstanding performances throughout the competition and secured a place in the semifinals.

In their opening fixture, Falcons Club completely outclassed Hardy Hawks with a commanding 74-26 victory. Players including Lala Azhar, Hammad, Zeeshan and Hamza produced remarkable performances and earned loud applause from spectators present at the venue.

Falcons continued their dominant run on the second day by defeating Strikers 81-14 in another one-sided contest. Zeeshan led the scoring chart with 13 points, while Hamza added 11, Hammad contributed 9, Dawood scored 8 and Yazdan chipped in with 7 points to complete an emphatic win.

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Despite the short notice before the event and limited preparation time for participating teams, the energy of the players and the enthusiasm of basketball supporters turned the tournament into a successful sporting occasion.

Pakistan’s senior basketball coach Riaz Malik remained actively involved in guiding Tournament Director Yasir Butt from the opening day. Meanwhile, Pakistan Basketball Federation Associate Secretary and Tournament Supervisor Ouj Zahoor closely monitored the event to ensure smooth arrangements and proper management.

Former Pakistan basketball player Riaz Bhai also attended the tournament and encouraged young athletes during the matches.

The excitement is expected to rise further on the concluding day when both semifinal matches and the grand final will be played, drawing the attention of basketball fans across the twin cities.

Falcons Club Coach Shahid Ulhaq and Manager Yousaf Afridi remained with the squad throughout the tournament. Coach Shahid Ulhaq said the team had upheld its legacy by reaching the semifinals and expressed confidence that Falcons would lift the trophy.

Manager Yousaf Afridi, who previously served as Secretary of Rawalpindi Division Basketball, stated that although preparation time was very short, the management arranged a brief training camp and fulfilled the team’s requirements in time, which helped produce positive results on the court.

During the tournament, Yousaf Afridi also met newly elected Rawalpindi Basketball Association Secretary Col Mohsin to discuss players’ issues and future development plans. He assured full cooperation from Falcons Club for the promotion of basketball and the welfare of emerging players in Rawalpindi.