July 17, 2002	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 6, 1423

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LAHORE, July 16: The Punjab Basketball Association (PBA) has divided 24 of its affiliated districts of the province, out of a total 34, into three zones and also formed tournament committees for each zone.

The PBA secretary Maudood Jafri said Tuesday that in the upper zone the districts namely Mianwali, Bhakhar, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat and Sargodha were included. The middle zone, comprised Lahore, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Gujranwala, Kasur, Sialkot, Okara, Faisalabad. The lower zone consisted Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Vehari and Khanewal.

Jafri said that the PBA had granted provisional affiliation to Sargodha and would discuss its case further before giving the permanent affiliation or otherwise.

The PBF had been affiliated with the Pakistan Sports Board and yet did not get affiliation of the Punjab Olympic Association (POA). The POA has already refused to give affiliation to the PBA. But Maudood said that his negotiations with the POA were in progress to resolve the matter.

He admitted that if not granted the affiliation by the POA, his team would not take part in the 69th Punjab Games to be held here from Nov 2 to 4.

The PBA has formed a selection committee which will be headed by Maudood Jafari with Sajid Ali Shah, Muhammad Yousaf Bhatti, Aamir Ali Gohar and Khalid Mahmood as members.

The trials to select Punjab U-16 team to participate in the inter-provincial basketball championship will be held at the Iqbal Parks on Oct 3 at 5pm.

A coaches clinic will be held at Iqbal Park on Sept 5 and 6.