Karachi : Madhu Mohammad Gulshan Iqbal clinched the title in the thrilling 3rd Naya Nazimabad Ramadan Floodlights Football Tournament, with a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Shafi Mohammad Lyari. The final, played under floodlights at Naya Nazimabad Football Ground, saw thousands of fans on the edge of their seats as the two teams battled it out. Shafi Mohammadan took an early lead with Ali Khan’s goal in the tenth minute, but Shah Jahan’s goal in the twenty-eighth minute drew Madhu Muhammadan level. Farqan Ahmed’s goal in the thirty-seventh minute restored Shafi Mohammadan’s lead, but Muawiya equalized for Madhu Muhammadan just three minutes later. The match ended tied at 2-2 in regulation time, leading to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout where Madhu Mohammadan emerged victorious.
Former Test cricketer Mohammad Sami, along with Arif Habib and other dignitaries, distributed the prizes among the players. The winning team, Madhu Muhammadan, received a cash prize of Rs 250,000 and a trophy, while the runner-up team, Shafi Muhammadan, was awarded Rs 200,000 and a trophy. Shah Jahan of Madhu Muhammadan was declared the best player and received a bike as his prize. Other individual awards included Amir David for the Emerging Player Award, Furqan Baloch for the Top Scorer Award, and Muhammad Sameer for the Best Goalkeeper Award. The Fair Play trophy went to the Malir Shaheen team.
The event was attended by a number of dignitaries, including Chairman Naya Nazimabad Arif Habib, President Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana Syed Muhammad Talha, renowned athlete Naseem Hameed, renowned singer Hassan Jahangir, CEO Hassan Property Tariq Iqbal, Sports Officer District Central Hajra Nawab, Tournament Director Nasir Ismail, Manager Sports Muhammad Asif, and others. The tournament proved to be a great success, providing exciting football matches and entertainment to the fans.