Colourful Integrated District Tribal Festival Begins Amidst Great Fun, Enthusiasm

The colourful Integrated District Tribal Sports Festival carrying more than 3000 athletes in 17 different games got underway here at Qayyum Sports Complex on Tuesday

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Dec, 2021 ) :The colourful Integrated District Tribal Sports Festival carrying more than 3000 athletes in 17 different games got underway here at Qayyum Sports Complex on Tuesday.

Provincial Minister for Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Iqbal Wazir formally inaugurated the games in a colorful ceremony. Director General Sports Asfandyar Khattak, Director Sports Integrated Districts Pir Abdullah Shah, Director Sports Female Games Rashida Ghaznavi, Deputy Director Sports Azizullah, Director Project Prime Minister 1000 Sports Facilities Murad Ali Mohmand, Admin Officer Syed Jaffar Shah, AD Games Ayub Khan, AD Awan Hussain, District Sports Officers Rahad Gul Malaguri, Noorullah Wazir, Coaches Amir Iqbal, Muhammad Imran and others participated.

The athletes took part in the smartly prepared March Past led by Police House school children, followed by Tribal Scout contingent and contingents of the 7 districts including Bajaur, Khurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Orakzai, and Khyber and six sub-division including Kohat, Peshawar, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank took part.

The Khurram Culture ground presented traditional Ghara (Attran) turned the whole complexion into a maladious one and the athletes started dances on the tone of drums (dolls) and pipe (surna) wherein the chief guest provincial minister Iqbal Wazir along with Director Sports Merged Areas Abdullah Shah and all other guest jointly participated.

The children of Ghazali Public School and Roshan Public School students of Khyber District performed a military parade and made various formation drills compelled the sitting spectators to thundering applause. It was a very smart and well prepared drill.

The sitting spectators and the players responded well with their cheering hands by appreciating the children during the military drill performances. More than 3,000 athletes from 17 districts participated in various games including athletics, volleyball, basketball, badminton, boxing, baseball, bodybuilding, cricket, football, table tennis, gymnastics, hockey, judo, kabaddi, taekwondo, wushu, and weightlifting.

Athletics, Bodybuilding, Karate, Judo, Gymnastics, Boxing and Weightlifting competitions in Peshawar, Cricket in Bajaur, Basketball, Badminton and Table Tennis in Kurram and Peshawar board while Volleyball and Hockey competitions in Kohat Tehsil, Football, Taekwondo and Wushu will be played South Waziristan.

Addressing the inaugural function, Provincial Minister Iqbal Wazir paid homage to Director General Sports Asfandyar Khattak, Director Sports Integrated Districts Pir Abdullah Shah and Sports Department team for organising the festival and said that there is talent in the integrated districts and it needs attention and hard work.

This talent is coming to the fore. A player from a backward area like Waziristan has been selected in the national cricket team, he said. He said that the Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan allocated Rs. 1000 million to develop sports infrastructure in tribal areas. The chief minister, he said, is paying special attention to the development of integrated districts and sports. The tribal people have been rendering for the restoration of peace in the region along with Jawan of security forces. Integrated districts were at the forefront of his priorities and steps were being taken to provide employment to the youth of integrated districts.

He said that on the instructions of the chief minister, a huge amount of money has been allocated for sports while sports complexes are being set up in every integrated district. He said that the tribal youth are the real asset of the country and their role is important in the development of integrated districts. He said working on various sports projects was under way and soon the tribal youth would have access to international standard playing facilities all across tribal areas.

Earlier, the Provincial Minister Iqbal Wazir formally inaugurated the Games wherein colourful balloons and pigeons were released.