KARACHI, March 19: The opening ceremony of the first Pakistan International Regetta in the Optimist and Laser 4.7 class of boats, got under way at the Defence Authority Marine Club on Saturday. The regatta organised by the Pakistan Youth Sailing Association along with the PSAF, will be contested between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Quite a few countries from Asia were invited to participate in this tournament celebrating Pakistan Day, but due to the heavy schedules in many of those countries, only the youngsters from Sri Lanka could participate in this event.

Four boys from the Island nation Ishan Kavan Abeysekera (age 13) Viren Harindra Dias (age (14), Nishan Wijetilate Atukorala (age 13) and Amirk Sacha Elapata Gunaratne (age 13) arrived from Colombo, along with their manager and coach Lalin Jirasingha.

Pakistan will be represented by Waled Tobeh, Hussain Patel, Fahad Alvi, Syed Ibaad Ali, Yasmin Arshad, Amin Arshad, Qazi Talah Nadeem, Marcus Zia Rahman, Ujala Mir Masood, Gazal Mir Masood, Mohammad Ismail Iqbal, Mohammad Asdaf Iqbal, Adeem Jamal Zubari, Adil Zubari, Mohammad Mustafa Ahmed, Nayab, Zaim Umer, Rabial, Mohammad Uzair Rasheed, Umer Haq, Azfar Haq, Yawar Saad, Sohair Saad, Sinan Asdar, Amara Asdar, Rasheed Adiyan, Altaf Jasim, Tipu Ali Haider, Maria Sehar, Usman Aslam, Farukh Abbas and Ossama Bin Ayaz in the Optimist Class.

Kiran Ikram, Waled Tobeh, Mir Ahmed Mansoor, Mohammad Umar Ahmed, Ali Akbar, Huzaifa Farooqi and Wajahat ullah Babur will sail in the Laser 4.7 class.

The tournament begins on Sunday from 11.a.m. onwards.