Last week, Lahorites showed their enthusiasm for the final of the 2nd Pakistan Super League (PSL) as they thronged the Gaddafi Stadium several hours before the start of the match at 8pm.

Many top dignitaries from the army, government, bureaucracy, business community and general public showed their love for the game and arrived at the venue after crossing several barriers on the road. The final match organised under tight security gave a very clear message to terrorists that this time the people of Pakistan will not be scared and come out from their houses to watch cricket.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had been contemplating holding the PSL here, but had to defer the game every time due to security threats. This time also, when PSL Chairman Najam Sethi and all stakeholders had decided that the final match will be held in Lahore, irrespective of any foreign cricketer coming to Lahore or not, a bomb blast on The Mall road claimed 14 lives.

This was followed by the deadly suicide blast in Sehwan killing over 80 people and some more attacks on security officials in other parts of the country. But this time, the government and the PCB decided to face the challenge.

Critics feared that acts of terrorism, anywhere in the country, close to the final could have a negative impact. But exemplary security arrangements with the help of army, Rangers and police ensured the final match was held smoothly.

Around 25,000 spectators rushed to the stadium, but they must have been disappointed as Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators could not exhibit a high-voltage clash. After Zalmi failed to set a big target, Gladiators also slumped to a modest total of 90 to suffer a big defeat. They lost the final of the inaugural edition of the PSL also to Islamabad United last year.

Zalmi Captain Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels (West Indies), Chris Jordan (England) came to Lahore for the final as well as former Australian batsman Dean Jones. The great Sir Vivian Richards also won the hearts of people as he accompanied the Gladiators as their mentor in Lahore.

The International Cricket Council and various cricket boards of the world had sent their security officials to monitor arrangements. After the PSL final was held successfully, hopefully international cricket would resume in the country in the next couple of years.

Next year, the PSL management wants to hold more matches in Pakistan. The PCB also earned record income; tickets worth approximately Rs180 million were sold – an amount the Gaddafi Stadium has never generated in the past for one-day matches.

The highest priced ticket cost Rs12,000, which could not attract many buyers. The Bank of Punjab also returned many unsold tickets costing Rs12,000 and Rs8,000, which the PCB offered to the public online.

Last week, the premier polo tournament, National Polo Championship for the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Cup, suffered due to rains in the city. It was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but its first two matches will now be played today in case of no further rain.

The wet condition of the ground wasted four days of the country’s premier polo event. Many foreign players have reached Lahore to play at the historical Lahore Polo Club. Players from Brazil and Argentina are regular players here every year. A key Argentinean polo player, Cruz Losada, is still in town for the tournament despite finding out that his mother has passed away back home.

Lahore hosted national-level golf and volleyball contests. The 4th J.A. Zaman tournament started off.

Professional and amateur golfers from all over the country are competing in it. A cash prize of Rs150,000 and two cars for hole-in-one achievers are up for grabs.

Muhammad Tahir Nazeer, PhD scholar and a lecturer from Punjab University’s Department of Sports Sciences, conducted an informative seminar on his research on ‘Biomechanical Analysis of Elite Swimmers in Pakistan’ with the collaboration of the Punjab Swimming Association.

A number of swimming coaches and technical officials attended the seminar. International coach Hafeez Bhatti said the seminar was helpful for coaches and would definitely help them perform better.

Nazeer said biomechanical analysis could play a vital role in producing international swimmers and worldwide this method was delivering. Unfortunately, a biomechanical lab was not available in Pakistan as there was only one such facility under the control of the PCB.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2017