Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat of 17-3 at the hands of Lebanon

Lahore: Hosts Pakistan suffered a heavy defeat of 17-3 at the hands of Lebanon in the second match of 4-Nation Division Three West Asian Rugby Championship here at the DHA Stadium on Thursday night. Earlier, Uzbekistan shocked India with the margin of 23-17 in the opening match of the championship which is being organised by Sports Board Punjab (SBP) in collaboration with the Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU).
The final of the event will be played on Sunday (tomorrow) between Uzbekistan and Lebanon while arch rivals Pakistan and India will vie for 3rd position on the same day.
Pakistan launched their match on positive note but they could not maintain the rhythm of the game against more professional Lebanese side. Salem El Dessouki and Karim Jamal exhibited magnificent rugby skills and played key role in Lebanon’s reasonable aggregate of 17. Kashif Khawaja was the only Pakistani player who offered some sort of resistance and managed to open the account for home team.
Earlier, both the teams were introduced to chief guest Director General Sports Board Punjab Usman Anwar. Mational anthems of the two teams were also presented prior to the commencement of the match.
A large number of rugby fans including dozens of families were there to applaud the teams despite scorching heat. The rugby enthusiasts showered huge praise whenever a team scored a point. Several rugby fans recorded their views and appreciated the efforts of DG SBP Usman Anwar for brining international sports in Pakistan. It may be recalled here that due to effective efforts of DG SBP, various international sports events have been staged in Pakistan during the last couple of months.
These events include Pak-India Punjab Games, Mud Wrestling, South Asia Bodybuilding, Fistball, Mix Martial Arts, Touch Rugby, Kabaddi, Tug-of-War, Arm Wrestling, Badminton, Cricket and Wrestling event which were held under the banner of Punjab youth international sports festival.