March 23, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1429

RAWALPINDI, March 22: Pakistan will compete in their first international tournament in three years when they participate in the qualifying round of Asian Junior Men’s Basketball Championship at Bangalore in July.

Green signal is also awaited for holding the Pakistan-Afghanistan basketball series.

These announcements were made at the Pakistan Amateur Basketball Federation’s (PABBF) general council meeting here at the Rawalpindi Gymkhana on Saturday.

President PABBF Mohammad Basharat Raja chaired the meeting which approved the affiliation to two associations and an athletes commission. The PABBF Secretary Lt Col (r) Nasim Butt said the PABBF planned to send a team to Asian Junior qualifiers, to be staged in Bangalore.

However, he added, the federation needed financial assistance for the plan to see the light of the day.

He further said that the PABBF was working to get financial assistance and was confident the team would compete in the Bangalore qualifiers.

Nasim also informed that the groundwork for the planned Pakistan-Afghan series had been complete, adding they were awaiting clearance from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for the series.—APP