KARACHI       -   Pakistan Federation Baseball (PBF) President Syed Fakhar Ali Shah met with Takahiro Tamura, counselor of Embassy of Japan and Special Assistant to the South-West Asian Issues, at a local hotel in Islamabad on Friday.

Fakhar briefed the Japan counselor about the steps being taken by the PBF for promotion of each and every category. “We will travel to China and Taiwan to participate in the Asian Under-15 and national team qualifying rounds for which, we are preparing very well,” he said.

Takahiro Tamura looked satisfied with the meeting and assured all possible cooperation and especially in relation to the availability of coaches and delivery of teams in this regard. Fakhar thanked him for encouraging and presented the PBF a souvenir and Pak-Japan friendly match ball to him.

Fakhar said: “I am not fully satisfied with Pakistan’s team performance in the 14th West Asia Cup Baseball Championship, which concluded recently in Sri Lanka. We should have won gold, but unfortunately, few mistakes cost us dearly and we had to settle for silver. But now we are focusing on qualification round to be played later this year, which could give us a place in Tokyo Olympics.

“I would like to say a big thanks to IPC Minister Dr Fahmida Mirza for lending us tremendous support and establishing our camp at the PSB. Her all-out help means a lot not only for us, but also for other federations,” Fakhar concluded.