Lahore Lions kabaddi team returns home

Lahore:  Triumphant Lahore Lions kabaddi team returned home on Monday morning after a highly successful tour of England. The victorious SBP kabaddi team was received by high officials of Punjab Kabaddi Association and Sports Board Punjab (SBP) at Allama Iqbal International Airport at9.00am.

A large number of jubilant kabaddi fans massed at Lahore Airport to cheer the national heroes, who won two back-to-back matches in London and Birmingham. The flag-waving crowd erupted in applause when the triumphant players arrived from England.

Lahore Lions kabaddi team played two World Kabaddi League matches in England. In the first clash, they toppled Canada’s Vancouver Lions by 74-61 in London on August 10 while Royal Kings USA were their next victim, whom they trounced by 62-50 convincingly at LG Arena Birmingham on August 16.

Lahore Lions topped their pool with four points. The entire team offered enthralling performances in England especially raider Shafiq Chishti was in amazing form. He showed spectacular performance and was adjudged Man of the Match in both matches.

After England leg of World Kabaddi League, Lahore Lions will take on Punjab Thunder on August 23 at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, India followed by another match on August 30 against Khalsa Warriors at the same venue.

In his congratulatory message, Director General SBP Usman Anwar said Lahore team raiders and stoppers were really deserved huge congratulations. “After watching their extra-ordinary performance in England, I’m quite sure that they will continue to win their matches in India,” he added. “Our potent kabaddi team really made the entire nation proud by winning two back-to-back matches in England,” he added.

Following are the members of Lahore Lions kabaddi team, who returned from England: Babar Waseem Gujjar (captain), Lala Ubaid Ullah, Shafiq Chishti, Shahzad Dogar, Rana Naeem, Khalid Mehar, Shabbir Butt, Rehman Ishtiaq alias Heera Butt, Saif Ullah, M Ramzan, Ali Lambi Pindiya, Matloob Ali, Mohsin Wahla, Arshad Mehmood, Waqas Raheem, Naeem Tahir Sindhu and Aslam Dogar.