JEDDAH: Gold’s Gyms Outdoor Manager Captain Assard reached out to a section of the Pakistani community who loves basketball and invited them to play against the Gold’s Gym team last week.
The Pakistan Int’l Old Students Association in Jeddah, which was established in 1984, formed the team. The association represents former students of Pakistan Int’l School Al Azizia campus (Est. 1959). The association’s goal is to arrange activities in areas of sports for both former, and current students, career planning, counseling for current students of PISJ Azizia, and get-togethers for former students and their families.
PISOSAJ’s head for basketball operations is Khurram Khan. Khan works as a senior manager for accounts with ALJ-Toyota in Jeddah. Currently, PISOSAJ holds the honor of having the first ever all-Pakistani basketball team in the Kingdom. The team is captain Hammad Shafi, who works for Goody Ba Sammah as a senior marketer, Sami Ahmed, Rotana traffic manager), Adnan Younus, BMW Naghi sales administrator, Kamaluddin Ahmed, Rotana media sales manager, Tariq. H. Khan, Attar Travels passenger traffic controller, Jahanzeb Alam, college student, and Moiz Muqri, brand manager SRPC.
Gold’s Gyms Operations manager Capt. Eisner Richards, and Capt. Mohammad Aziz, fitness manager, were on hand to extend a warm welcome to the team and their families. The team members and their community were extended an ongoing offer for membership and invited back to play again.
Before the game, Khurram Khan, and Hammad Shafi presented Assard with a token of appreciation for his work in the basketball community. Assard has over his career been the captain of the Saudi national team, Al-Ahli club team, and was top scorer at the 1982 World Basketball Championships in South America, in the Gulf and Asia championships during his professional career.
The Gold’s Gym team took control of the game from the start and at half time was leading 30 to 7. The PISOSAJ team did better in the second half scoring five baskets and tightened up on their defense and finished the game down 52 to 17.
All the players had fun playing, meeting new players and making friends. The addition of exercise and sports in their lives is the main message that hung in the air, and the next meeting will not be far off. The benefits from the training and playing sports that Gold’s Gym has brought to the Jeddah community will last for years to come.
