2nd Edition Of KP U-23 Male-Female Games From Nov This Year: DS Sports

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Oct, 2016 ) : The 2nd edition of the KP U-23 Games involving 7000 athletes and officials in 20 male and 15 female disciplines costing Rs. 71.53mn will be commencing in November this year and would continue up till Feb 2017.

This was stated by Deputy Secretary sports Adil Saeed Safi while addressing a press conference here at Lala Rafique Sports Arena on Monday. Flanked by DG Sports Ms. Rashida Ghaznavi, Director Operation Tariq Mehmood, Adil disclosed that like last year the Games would be organized in two different phases � at district and regional levels.

He said that the Games at District level will be organized wherein 5000 athlete and officials will take part from 26 districts of KP in 13 female and 15 male disciplines. The male events comprising football, hockey, basketball, volleyball, squash, badminton, table tennis, tennis, athletics, gymnastic, judo, karate, wrestling, kabaddi and tug of war while the female events including cricket, netball, hockey, basketball, volleyball, squash, badminton, table tennis, athletics, baseball, judo, handball and tug of war.

He said in the second phase to be organized at Regional level, five male games comprising Taekwondo, Swimming, Cycling, Handball, Snooker and two female events like Taekwondo and Wushu would be included that increases the total strength to 7000 athletes.

He said that the daily allowance of the players has been increased from Rs. 400 to Rs. 500 per day in all games to be part of the U-23 Games. He said like last year this time, the unveiling ceremonies of the trophies would be organized accordingly in all Regional Headquarters while full uniform, including playing kits, truck-suites and shoes would be provided to players and officials.

In a question, he said, all the position holders of the first edition of U-23 Games would be given stipend so that they could be able to bear their education expenses till Master Classes. �We have decided to extend support to the talented players in their educational expenses as well,� Adil Saeed Safi added.

He said lists have already been approved and soon those recorded positions in various games would get monthly stipend so that they could continue their education without any hardship. "We are also introducing another program under which talented players would be sent to represent the country in the international events on govt expenses," he said.

About the promise being made by Imran Khan to provide playing fields to the youth, he said, by Dec this year out of 47, 40 grounds would be handed over to the Directorate of Sports KP while the rest of 37 grounds would be completed well before Dec 2017.

He said that Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak approved a grant of Rs. 200mn for the renovation and rehabilitations of the existing grounds in various Districts. He said work on the construction of multi-purpose Squash Complex named after former World Champion has already been started for which Rs.

100 granted has been transferred to C&W department. The Complex would have six international standard squash courts and a hostel for 100 players, he said. He said for the first time the govt initiated a project of constructing two international standard squash courts in the famous Nawa Khali village only to pay tribute to the land produced seven world champions in the world of squash that ruled almost for 37-years in the world of squash.

APP/ijz/rn