Iranian women annex National Football title

ISLAMABAD - Scoring 68 goals in five outing and recording nine hat tricks, Malavan Bandar Anzali of Iran clinched the title of fifth National Women Football Championship at Islamabad's Jinnah Stadium. In a one-side match on Tuesday night the visiting team thrashed Punjab University's Sports Sciences Department, 11-0 after 7-0 up at interval. Earlier, Young Rising Star FC overcame Pakistan Wapda on penalties 3-2 after goalless draw to earn bronze medal. Federal Minister for Sports, Pir Aftab Shah Jilani was the chief guest of the match while Pakistan Football Federation's (PFF) Women Wing Chairperson Robina Irfan presided over the function. Robina's Husband Agha Irfan Karim, Minister for Zakat, Haj, Usher and Auqaf in Balochistan Cabinet, was also present there. The main goal scorer for visitors from Iran was midfielder Hajar Shahmalekpour, who struck her second hat-trick of the event with goals in the 56th, 59th and 68th minutes after spearhead Fereshteh Karimi did all the damage with two spectacular goals in the first five minutes, the first being in the third minute. Skipper Maryam Irandost also earned brace with goals in the 26th and 37th minutes. The remaining four goal scorers were Neda Abdollahzadeh 30th min, Sara Ghomi Marzdahti 35th min, Fatemeh Arzhangi 43rd min and Sepideh Nazhati 70th min. PFF's President Faisal Saleh Hayat in order to promote women football, had announced revised prizes for three top teams and individuals for the event and nine prizes were on the card with the introduction of awards for best referee and assistant referee during concluding ceremony. Iranian outfit took Rs 1,50,000 whereas runner up team Sports Sciences walked away with Rs 1,00,000. The third-placed team Young Rising Star were handed over Rs 50,000. The skippers of all top three teams also lifted trophies while gold, silver and bronze medals were also distributed to officials and players of top three teams. The cash prize of Rs 20,000 for Most Valuable Player (MVP) was distributed among Maryam Irandost (Iran) and Shahlyla (Balochistan United) and same amount was also given to best goalkeepers Zohreh Koudaei, Iran and Shumaila, Sports Sciences. Leading markswoman Fereshteh Karimi (Iran) and Hajra Khan (Diya) also pocketed Rs 10,000 each. Bahawalpur's Khalid Khan, the most impressive referee of the competition got Rs 20,000 same purse while Rs 10,000 awarded to best assistant referee Yasmeen Zareen. According to Robina Irfan, PFF Chief had also decided to hand over cash prize of Rs 25,000 in place of earlier-announced Rs 10,000 to winner of Fair Play Trophy and it went into hands of Riffat Mehdi, led Balochistan United. Khalid Khan supervised the final while Naeem Zaidi and Yasmeen Zareen acted as his assistant. Asifa Naheed Butt was 4th official. Final Position: (1) Malavan Bandar Anzali, Iran (2) Punjab University's Sports Sciences Department (3) Rawalpindi's Young Rising Star FC (4) Pakistan WAPDA (5) Karachi's Diya Club (6) Higher Education Commission (7) Balochistan United (8) Punjab (9) Islamabad (10) Pakistan Army (11) Balochistan (12) NWFP (13) Sindh (14) Azad Jammu Kashmir

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