PSB Questions Netball Federation’s “First Place” Claim

Islamabad: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has raised serious concerns over the Pakistan Netball Federation’s (PNF) claim that the Pakistan Youth Girls Team won “first position” in the 2025 Asian Youth Netball Championship.

According to state-run APP, the PSB has issued a letter asking the federation to submit a written explanation within three days.

The PSB said that the PNF’s language made it appear that Pakistan won the gold medal, although the team had won the Plate Group final, not the Gold Cup. Pakistan defeated the Maldives 60-35 in the Plate Division final after remaining undefeated in their group.

The tournament featured 11 teams divided into two groups. Group A (Gold Division) included strong teams like Malaysia, Singapore, and India, while Pakistan competed in Group B (Plate Division), facing teams like Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

In its letter, the PSB also criticized PNF Chairman Mudassar Razzaq Arain for publicly calling the win a “gold medal” in interviews and using that claim to seek rewards under the government’s 2024 Cash Award Policy. A viral video of such an interview was also mentioned.

The PSB has warned that if the PNF does not provide a proper explanation, the issue will be referred to higher authorities.

In response, Chairman Arain issued a video statement clarifying that Pakistan won in the Plate Division and not the Gold Division. He also claimed that PSB did not support the team financially for the tournament.

The championship was held in Jeonju, South Korea, from June 27 to July 4. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier praised the team’s performance on social media, saying, “Special appreciation for staying undefeated throughout the tournament! Very well played!”