KARACHI, Dec 13 Wapda toppled Navy to settle for third place by holding Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) to a 0-0 draw in the 182nd and final match of the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) at Peoples Sports Complex here on Sunday.
The final league match was supervised by Shafaat Habib (Army) with support on the line from Sattar Badini (Kharan), Abdul Aziz (Karachi) and Fareed Ahmed (KPT) as the fourth official.
Wapda, which lifted the title in 1983, 1991, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008, failed to earn their eighth title as they finished three points behind champions Khan Research Laboratories (60 points) and second-placed Army (60 points).
PPFL's winners KRL will now be representing Pakistan in the 6th AFC President's Cup next year. KRL also earned Rs413,000 as match bonus in AFC club competitions after nine years as they had last appeared in 11th Asian Cup Winners Cup in 2000.
KRL grabbed the winning trophy and gold medals in addition to the Rs600,000 prize money. Four-time national champions Army had to be content with silver medals and Rs400,000 while Wapda were presented with bronze medals and Rs300,000.
PIA's playmaker Nasrullah Khan was adjudged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and pocketed Rs100,000 while leading marksman Arif Mahmood (Wapda, 20 goals) and best goalkeeper Ghulam Nabi (KRL) took Rs50,000 each.
The Fair Play trophy and Rs100,000 accompanying it were handed over to Lahore's Pak Elektron Limited (PEL) who demonstrated fine sportsmanship throughout the 142-day show.
PEL had more reasons to cheer when their keeper Saqib Hanif was declared Best Emerging Player of the show.
The awards for Best Match Commissioner and Best Referee went to Qamar Yar Khan and Sattar Badini, respectively. Both received Rs50,000 each. Okara's Shahid Hussain received the Best Assistant Referee Award of Rs25,000.--Agencies
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