Lahore Lions face California Eagles today at Jalandhar

Lahore: Sports Board Punjab’s Lahore Lions kabaddi team, with an ambition to top the medals table in the ongoing World Kabaddi League (WKL), has left for India on September 18. Director General Sports Punjab Usman Anwar saw off the team which will reach Jalandhar via Wahga Border to feature in the 4^th round matches of the 8-team mega kabaddi event.

SBP team will open their 4^th round campaign with a match against California Eagles onSeptember 19 (today) at Burlton Park Jalandhar Hockey Stadium, Jalandhar, India. Vancouver Lions will be their next opponents on 20^th of September (tomorrow) at the same venue.

During the 4^th round encounters, Lahore Lions will try their best to dethrone leaders Khalsa Warriors from the top slot in the points table. Warriors, with 13 points, held the top position after playing seven matches while Sports Board Punjab’s kabaddi team Lahore Lions are placed at number two with eight points.

Director General Sports Punjab Usman Anwar, while talking to media said that Lahore Lions kabaddi team have now become quite familiar with the Indian conditions and their rival teams. “It’s a great advantage which our team got and now we can expect that SBP team will play their next matches according to a strategy based on the weak and strong points of the opponent sides,” he added.

To a question, DG SBP stated that gradually kabaddi has become one of the top sports of the country. “The hectic Kabaddi activities during the past few years are strong evidence in this regard. The way our Kabaddi team is demonstrating excellent performance in different parts of the world, we are quite determined that SBP team will win several laurels for the motherland in the future,” he expressed his hope.

Following is the touring squad: Babar Waseem Gujjar (captain), Shafiq Chishti, Akmal Shahzad Dogar, M Ramzan, M Khalid, Arshad Mehmood, Mohsin Naseer, Naeem Tahir Sindhu, M Aslam, Saif Ullah, Rehman Ishtiaq, Khalil Ahmed.

Officials: Ghulam Abbas Butt, (head coach), Abdul Rauf Roofi (media manager).