CM KP Inaugurates U23 Male & Female Games

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th May, 2024) Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur on Tuesday inaugurated the colourful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U23 Male and Female Games here at fully decorated Hayatabad Sports Complex wherein 1850 male and female athletes are taking part in 11 male and nine female Games at different venues.

KP Ministers, members of the Provincial Assembly, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs Syed Fahre Jahan, Secretary Sports Matti Ullah Khan, Additional Director General Sports and Chairperson of the Games Rashida Ghaznai, Director General Sports Abdul Nasir Khan, Director Operation Aziz Ullah Jan, Deputy Director Operation Jamshed Baloch, officials players, heroes who represented Pakistan, hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, players and large number of players and peoples were also present.

Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur also inaugurated the international standard Hayatabad cricket Ground which was built at a total cost of Rs. 883 million.

Provincial Ministers Meena Khan Afridi, Qasim Ali Shah, Syed Fakhr Jahan, MNAs Arbab Sher Ali, Muhammad Asif Khan accompanied him on this occasion. The Chief Minister said that this is the 18th step taken for the welfare of the players.

He has announced a total of Rs. 50 million more cash prizes for those who win medals and get first, second and third position respectively.

He got a promise from the players that they should fight against corruption and drug smugglers. He also promised that more sports activities with better facilities would be organized.

He said the 4th edition of the Inter-Provincial Games would be organized soon after the U23 Games and the best teams would be selected among the games and players from other provinces would be invited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for establishing brotherhood and learn better things from the experiences from the players of other provinces.

Syed Fakhar Jahan while welcoming the players and officials said that the successful players will be given an opportunity in the Inter-Provincial Games.

A talent hunt program will be started for the U16 players and the performing players will be given a monthly stipend and full sponsorship.

A total of 1850 male and female players will participate in 20 different sports in the Games, in which 770 women will participate in 9 different games and 1150 male players are participating in 11 different games.

He said that special care will be taken for all the players in the games and all facilities will be provided. From the ceremony, Sports Advisor Syed Fakhar Jahan said that the best performing players in the U-23 games will be given to each sports team. Teams will be formed to represent the province in the Inter-Provincial Games and these games will also be held here, in which teams from all the provinces besides Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad will participate in the U-23 games at Peshawar Sports Complex. It will continue till May 30 at Hayatabad Sports Complex, Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex, Kohat Sports Complex, Peshawar board and University Ground.

Rashida Ghanavi said that women Games would be played in Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex, Charsadda, BISE Sports Peshawar and Peshawar Sports Complex. Rashida Ghaznavi said that a total of 770 players from all seven regions of the province will compete in nine different games. Cricket, Athletics and Taekwondo would be organized in BISE Peshawar Sports Complex, Squash at Qamar Zaman Squash Complex and the rest of five Games of women would be played at Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda, she informed.

She said that according to the Policy of the KP Govt, women have been given opportunities on the basis of equality and efforts have been made to involve women officials in these games.

Earlier, soon after the games opened a firework continued for 10-minutes which was enjoyed by the people. Khattak Dance of FC, FC Band and Dolls Performance of performers from Dera Ismail Khan also enthralled the sitting spectators.