26th All-Pakistan Games For Persons With Disabilities-2018 Begins In Abbottabad

The 26th edition of the Games for Persons with Disabilities-2018 part of the recently concluded U-23 Games begins here at different venues of the Comsates University Abbottabad on Wednesday.

ABBOTTABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2018 ) :The 26th edition of the Games for Persons with Disabilities-2018 part of the recently concluded U-23 Games begins here at different venues of the Comsates University Abbottabad on Wednesday.

Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Junaid Khan was the chief guest on this occasion. Director Operation Syed Saqlin Shah, Female Coordinator Miss Komal, President Women cricket with Disability Association Saima Aslam, Afshan Afridi, a known social worker, former international athletes Asim Zafar and Agha Hasnain, international coach Syed Jaffar Shah, officials and players and large number of spectators were also present during the colourful opening ceremony.

The colorful opening ceremony was started with the recitation of Holy Quran by Hafiz Bilal, an international blind cricketer, followed by national anthem and a smart March Past of the all the participating contingent. There were athletes with disability of lower, upper portion (physical), blind, deaf and Dam, Cerebral Palsy, wheelchair female and male are taking part in 100m, 50 lower and upper portion races, 50m crouches, 50m braces, 100m wheelchair, shot put throw standing, discus throw wheelchair and standing, javelin throw wheelchair, power lifting wheelchair and standing in 40kg, 50kg, 60kg, 70kg, 80kg, table tennis standing and wheelchair, badminton wheelchair double, posing bodybuilding, gymnastic and Duck Race.

The smart March Past led by Muhammad Adil, who represented Pakistan in the 2004 Athens Paralympic holding the national flag, Games flag in the hands of another Asian Games Table Tennis player Ibrahim Khan while the Directorate Flag was in the hands of Olympian Nasrullah, who represented Pakistan in the 2004 Athens Olympic in Standing Athletic.

Speaking on this occasion, Director General Sports Junaid Khan announced that the Games is a regular feature of the Directorate of Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and since 1992 and without any break the Games are regularly being organized. He assured that the cash prizes would be enhance to the level so that to facilitate the persons with disability. He said handsome cash prizes would be given to the players along with trophies, medals, certificates.

He said efforts would be made to facilities the persons with disability. He said more work has been in progress to motivate the persons with disability to take active part in sports. There is no shortage of funds for them, this time 500 athletes with disability turned up for the Games from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad and we want that all the others should join in the 27th edition, also be organized in Abbottabad in the month of June.

He also appreciated the members of the Special Life Foundation (an organization working for persons with disability in KP) for joining hands with KP Govt in motivating persons with various disabilities. He said we have programs for them in the youth as well along with sports activities. This time, all the participating players provided full uniform, track-suite, shoes, he said.

In the Javelin throw wheelchair Azhar Lahore, Abid Bannu and Kamran of Dream Lahore got positions, in the standing shot put Misal Khan of KP won gold medal, followed by Azhar of Punjab and Nisar of PSRD Punjab. In the 200m child race Hamza of Kingston of KP, Rizwan Ullah of the same and Usman and Huzairfa of KP won other positions. In the Children 100m female Maryum Shah of KP, Fareeda of KP and Munaza of KP got positions.