LAHORE: President of the Pakistan Federation Baseball (PFB) and former Director General of the Sports Board Punjab, Khawar Shah, passed away here on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 68. Khawar was hospitalised after he felt fever during the last month’s Inter-Provincial Youth Games held in Islamabad. Khawar introduced baseball in Pakistan way back in 1992 and worked diligently for the promotion of the sport till his death. He organised a number of international baseball events in Pakistan namely the South Asia Cup and the first SAARC Cup, in Islamabad and Lahore. Pakistan won almost all the baseball events held at home as the country attained 22nd ranking in the world and they stand at fifth in Asia out of 34 countries. For the rapid progress of baseball in Pakistan, the Major League organisers of United States invited Pakistan in the World Cup qualifying round held in New York in 2016. Besides Pakistan, world’s top teams namely Brazil, England, Israel also participated. For his services for baseball, the Asian body of the game appointed him as director of the West Asia region. Khawar`s last international achievement was hosting the Indo-Pak baseball series in the UA E last month. “This is a tremendous loss for our sport in Pakistan, Asia and worldwide,” said Riccardo Fraccari, president of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) – the world governing body for the two sports. “History will always remember President Shah’s important legacy and milestones in baseball,” he added. Meanwhile, Pakistan Olympic Association president Lt Gen (r) Arif Hasan, POA secretary Khalid Mahmood, Punjab Sports Board DG Aamir Jan, Sports Journalists Association of Lahore, Pakistan Hockey Federation officials, former hockey Olympians, Punjab Olympic Association secretary Khawaja Idrees Haider and secretary of Pakistan Basketball Federation Khalid Bashir have condoled the sad demise. Khawar left behind a widow, three sons and four daughters to mourn his death. Published in Daily Times, January 18th 2018.