RAWALPINDI (Urdu Times) Pakistan’s Milestone of 1,000 ODI Matches: Journalists Awarded ‘Excellence Awards’ by South Asian Sports Journalists Association RAWALPINDI

RAWALPINDI (Urdu Times) Pakistan’s Milestone of 1,000 ODI Matches: Journalists Awarded ‘Excellence Awards’ by South Asian Sports Journalists AssociationRAWALPINDI A prestigious ceremony was organized by the South Asian Sports Journalists Association (SASJA) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium to celebrate Pakistan’s historic milestone of playing 1,000 One Day International (ODI) matches. On this landmark occasion, Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi, former captain Ramiz Raja, legendary fan Chacha Cricket, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz recipient Abdul Mohi Shah, and other leading sports journalists were honored with ‘Special Milestone Excellence Awards.’According to the details, the simple yet highly impressive and historic event paid tribute to personalities who have rendered invaluable services to both the field of play and sports journalism. Organized under the leadership of SASJA Founder President Asghar Ali Mubarak, the ceremony featured the distribution of commemorative shields and excellence milestone awards among prominent cricket personalities and media professionals.

Former Pakistan captain, 1992 World Cup winner, and world-renowned cricket commentator Ramiz Raja graced the ceremony as the chief guest.During the event, special shields were presented to Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi, Ramiz Raja, and Chacha Cricket in recognition of their exceptional services in promoting Pakistan cricket on the global stage. Federal Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, was awarded a special shield for his visionary governance and development of the game. Due to his presence abroad in Saudi Arabia to perform the holy pilgrimage of Hajj, a designated PCB representative received the commemorative shield on his behalf.Former PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja was presented with a special shield for elevating Pakistan’s stature in the international cricket world through his decades of work as a player, administrator, and global broadcaster. Additionally, Abdul Jalil, universally known as ‘Chacha Cricket’—the iconic global ambassador of Pakistan cricket who has selflessly hoisted the green crescent flag across worldwide stadiums for decades—was awarded a special commemorative shield for his lifelong dedication.The most anticipated and memorable moment of the evening was the presentation of the Special Excellence Award and commemorative shield to Pakistan’s eminent senior sports journalist, Abdul Mohi Shah. This award was presented in recognition of his extraordinary, lifelong contributions to sports journalism and to celebrate the prestigious civil honor, ‘Tamgha-i-Imtiaz,’ recently conferred upon him by the Government of Pakistan.

Chief Guest Ramiz Raja highly praised Abdul Mohi Shah’s brilliant and historic role in promoting sports culture and meticulously documenting Pakistan’s sporting history.Expressing his gratitude upon receiving the award, a deeply moved Abdul Mohi Shah thanked the entire media fraternity, stating: “This award does not belong to me alone; it belongs to all of you. It is a collective recognition of the hard work and dedication of our entire journalistic community.”Speaking at the ceremony, the President of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Sports Journalists Association (RISJA), Abubakar Bin Talat, extended his profound gratitude to the Government of Pakistan for recognizing Shah’s immense journalistic services with the state civil award.In his keynote address, SASJA Founder President Asghar Ali Mubarak emphasized that sports journalists serve as the true face of Pakistan’s soft image globally and act as exceptional role models for the youth. He added that their professional output is a direct manifestation of national commitment, resilience, and mutual respect.In his address, Asghar Ali Mubarak paid rich tributes to veteran and iconic journalists including Muhammad Anis, Imran Naeem Ahmed, Makhdoom Babar, and Farhana Ayaz Khan for their immense professional contributions. He also paid solemn tribute to the legendary deceased icons of sports journalism, including Late Qamar Saeed Zaidi, Late Syed Muslehuddin, Late Farooq Mazhar, Late Sufi Muhammad Rafiq, Late Amanullah Khan, Late Muhammad Sharif Khan Ferozpuri, and Late Maqsood Ahmed, acknowledging that their historic legacy remains an guiding light for the new generation of journalists.Founder President Asghar Ali Mubarak extended his heartiest congratulations to the RISJA leadership team, including Patron-in-Chief Abdul Mohi Shah, Chairman Shakeel Awan, President Abubakar Bin Talat, and all senior journalists and executive office bearers on receiving their awards.The prominent dignitaries and sports media professionals presented with the Excellence Milestone Shields included: Zulfiqar Baig, Arsalan Shirazi, Asim Riaz, Hafiz Obaid-ur-Rehman, Nasir Naqvi, Zahid Farooq Malik, Shehryar Khan, Afzal Javed Ajjo, Rizwan Ehsan Ali Joji, Sohail Raja, Gabriel D’Souza, Abdul Jabbar Faisal, Faheem Anwar Khan, Sajjad Khan, Nawaz Gohar, Miss Kiran Shahzadi, Miss Maria Rajput, Miss Ambreen, Miss Rozeena, Dr. Zahid Awan, Mohammad Zeeshan, Arfa Feroz Zaki, and Imran Satti.The grand ceremony concluded with all participants warmly congratulating the core awardees—Mohsin Naqvi, Ramiz Raja, Chacha Cricket, and Abdul Mohi Shah—while collectively reiterating their firm commitment to further raising the standard of cricket promotion and sports journalism across Pakistan.