KARACHI: The fourth spell of the monsoon here has resulted in has left the first round of the recently-commenced National U-19 Championship to stand still.
The fourth and worst monsoon spell hit the city yesterday, and the steady deluge throughout Sunday has forced the cancellation of the first round of the National U19 tournament.
Following severe rain, the six venues for the opening round here, including United Bank Limited (UBL) Ground, TMC Ground, KCCA Ground, and Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, sank in loads of water, forcing the matches to be cancelled.
According to the details, six matches were to be played between 12 teams of six cricket associations. However, due to the waterlogged grounds, the action could not take place today.
The second round of the National U19 Championship, however, will now commence on August 30.
READ: Bowlers dominate second session as Pakistan slip to 111/4 at Tea
KARACHI: Abdul Sattar Edhi International Hockey Stadium, which was announced to get its major renovation by the Government of Sindh in May, has sunk under loads of water after the fourth spell of monsoon poured into the city.
As the fourth and the strongest monsoon of the season hit the city on Sunday morning and the persistent rain for the entirety of the day, has resulted in flooding of the Abdul Sattar Hockey Stadium.
Rainwater has inundated the main areas of the structure, including the corridor and the main office. Following this, concerns have begun to raise that the flooding may cause the stadium’s decaying structure to collapse.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Government of Sindh, in collaboration with Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) awarded a contract to Frontier Works Organization (FWO) in May for the refurbishment of the dilapidated stadium.
Following the contract, details indicated that around 1.5 billion rupees will be spent on the rebuilding of the stadium, which will also include state-of-the-art indoor gymnasiums and swimming pools.
The boys’ hostel and changing rooms for up to four teams. Whereas, the installation of seats in the enclosure for the first time, was also a part of the plan.
READ: Verstappen edges past Hamilton to win French GP after Ferrari crash