Karachi: Mubarak Village remained victorious throughout PALS Rescue Football Tournament 2019 and concluded the final match following a challenging game against rivals, Hawks Bay Combine. The match was recently held at Buleji Ground of Abdur Rehman Goth.
Mubarak Village were crowned champions as they defeated Hawks Bay Combine by 1 – 0 in the final of the PALS Rescue Football Tournament 2019, held at Buleji Ground of Abdur Rehman Goth.
Gohar Khan scored the opening goal of the match as Mubarak Village took the all-important lead in the first half. It was a closely fought contest with both sides coming close to scoring at various instances; however it was Mubarak Village yet again who sealed the victory while maintaining the score till the last minute.
Muhammad Naeem was named the Player of the Tournament while Baba Doshi was recognised as the Best Keeper of the Tournament; both players were representing Mubarak Village. Gohar Khan of the same team was recognised as the Man of the Match for his impressive performance in the final.
The tournament was attended by local notables, government officials, elected representatives, and sports enthusiasts among others. The final match was followed by a prize distribution ceremony during which the winning trophy was given to the victorious team and cash prizes were distributed.
“Football is the most cherished sport of the local communities which our lifeguards represent. Organising this tournament has been one of the most rewarding experiences as it has had a phenomenal impact on all stakeholders involved,” said Reza Samad, Founder & President of PALS Rescue, “We are glad that PALS Rescue, through this activity has played a major role in terms of bringing people together and has facilitated community involvement at various levels. With this, we look forward to making PALS Rescue Football Tournament an annual retreat.”
Pakistan Life Saving Foundation (PALS Rescue), the country’s only privately run near-shore water safety, drowning prevention and rescue body, organised this first ever football tournament for the youth of fishing communities located along the coastline of Karachi. The tournament which is the first of its kind commenced on February 25 for a total of seven matches that were played by eight participating teams.
PALS Rescue was founded as an NGO in July 2004 out of the sheer necessity to commence a free service that would provide life-saving facilities at the beaches of Karachi. It now employs more than 250 highly trained lifeguards representing the fishing community while the demand for their services doubles during the monsoon season. Till date, the organisation has employed more than 1,000 lifeguards and saved over 5,000 lives, and provides protection to 8 million beach visitors on an annual basis.
About PALS Rescue:
Pakistan Life Saving Foundation (PALS Rescue) is a registered NGO, with international accreditation, established in 2004 for the purpose of providing life-saving services along the beaches of Karachi, as a free public service. PALS Rescue is the only privately run near shore water safety, drowning prevention and rescue organisation in Pakistan. It has successfully created a safe environment on the beaches and coastline, through a combination of lifeguard patrols, education, training, public safety campaigns and the promotion of health and fitness.
Since its inception PALS Rescue has saved almost 5,000 people from drowning along Karachi’s beaches. It has also conducted over 7,000,000 preventive actions and has provided first-aid to over 6,000 people. Its presence along Karachi’s beaches provides protection to over 8,000,000 beach visitors every year. Since 2004, PALS Rescue has been able to maintain a ‘near zero’ drowning rate, which is a direct result of the efforts of a highly trained lifeguard service that has ensured safety for the public. PALS Rescue represents Pakistan at the International Life Saving Federation (ILS) as a Full Member and is also closely associated with Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ). It also has a membership at the Royal Lifesaving Society (RLSS), UK.
PALS Rescue relies on public and institutional donations and sponsorships for meeting its operational expenses.