Clean Environment Must For Better Performance Of Athletes: POAEC Member

Pakistan Olympic Association Environmental Commission (POAEC) Member Tehmina Asif Friday said that unless the environment would not be healthy and clean, the athletes would not be able to perform their best, because only clean environment could ensure healthy life

KARACHI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Nov, 2020 ) :Pakistan Olympic Association Environmental Commission (POAEC) Member Tehmina Asif Friday said that unless the environment would not be healthy and clean, the athletes would not be able to perform their best, because only clean environment could ensure healthy life. As long as the athletes would remain healthy and fit they would be able to perform better.

Talking to APP, she said the starting from the sports grounds the role of the country's sports federations and provincial associations was crucial to make Pakistan greener.

Tehmina, who is also Chairperson of Softball Federation of Pakistan, was of the view that half of the country's population consisted of youth, majority of whom were involved in some sport at the amateur or professional level. If these youth were utilised as a platform to creates awareness among the masses about the importance of trees for the elimination of air and environmental pollution, then the dream of a green Pakistan could be fulfilled in the next few years.

POAEC Member opined that through sports we could keep our environment clean by planting trees, clean grounds, keeping the environment around us clean and spread the message that good health and life were no less than blessings.

She mentioned that Environmental Commission of the Pakistan Olympic Association had directed all its officials to persuade the representatives of all federations and provincial associations to make tree plantation mandatory in their sporting events as well as to clean the venue of the events. To a large extent federations and associations were working with the POAEC in this regard and they had made tree plantation mandatory in their events.

The players were also advised to keep the grounds clean when the events were over.

She said that under the POA Commission, all the associations had been urged to conduct awareness programs for their players on importance of tree plantation and maintenance of cleanliness in sports grounds.

"If millions of Pakistani athletes plant their share of a sapling and irrigate it, the day is not far when our country will be free from the clutches of environmental pollution", said Tehmina Asif.

POA Environmental Commission Member noted that in this connection, the players were being urged upon to plant as many trees as possible and also to play an active role in their care.

She informed that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed this month between the Pakistan Olympic Association and the Karachi Sports Foundation, under which the country's two major sports bodies would plant 100,000 trees across the country over a two-year period.

She said that about 50 thousand saplings would be planted in all the divisions of Sindh in phases under the POA Environmental Commission.

The campaign had been launched from Karachi. POA Secretary General Muhammad Khalid Mahmood, renowned athletes, Olympians and international players besides national champions of various sports were also participating in the drive. The process will not only help eliminating pollution as well as promoting a healthy environment, but will also strengthen the Green Pakistan campaign across the country and beautify schools and educational institutions.