From left: Dr. Ghayaz, Javed Ali, business and guest of honor Abdul Subhan, chief guest Shamim Khan, President APUS Dr. Mohammed Ashraf Ali, Vice president APUS Mohammed Rafeeq, with the participating 20 teams' captains. — Courtesy photo Syeda Amtul Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – A function for inaugurating the cricket tournament titled “Republic Day Cup” was organized on the occasion of India's 64th Republic Day by Andhra Pradesh United Society (APUS) and Riyadh Premier Leauge (RPL) in Riyadh, Tuesday. The function began with the recitation of the Qur'an by Inaam followed by the national anthem and a patriotic song “Saare Jahan se Achcha” written by Allama Iqbal. The guests were welcomed by Javed Ali, executive member of APUS, and the host for the evening. The chief guest at the function was Shamim Khan and the guest of honor was Abdul Subhan. A PowerPoint presentation on APUS and RPL was delivered. Ali presented a brief summary of RPL since its inception in 2010. He highlighted the RPL's achievements in arranging various tournaments and cups. Dr. Ashraf, president of APUS, addressed the gathering and stressed on patriotism. “APUS has always taken initiatives in such extracurricular activities.” Rafiq said he is always there to support such events; he expressed his desire to find hidden talents in every field, especially from the Hyderabad fraternity. Dr. Ghayas advised all the 20 participating teams to be disciplined on the ground at all times, as a trophy for “fair play,” sponsored by his organization, will be given away. Khan applauded the efforts of APUS and spoke of his childhood friend Ali, who he said is an inspiration for the youth. Khan said it was difficult to conduct such big tournaments, as he had earlier experienced when he was in the RCL's governing body. He promised his full support to the APUS along with sponsoring awards to the players next year. Taher Bin Jaafer, president of RPL, presented a short synopsis of the RPL's activities. Cultural Secretary of APUS Shakeel delivered the vote of thanks.
