Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U21 Games To Start From Nov 15: Asfandyar Khattak

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U21 Games to start from Nov 15: Asfandyar Khattak

The Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Wednesday gave approval of holding the most awaited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U21 Games second edition, carrying 7000 male female players from all 35 districts

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Oct, 2021 ) :The Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Wednesday gave approval of holding the most awaited Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U21 Games second edition, carrying 7000 male female players from all 35 districts.

This was stated by Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Asfandyar Khan Khattak while addressing a press briefing soon after attending a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan. He said the meeting was also attended by Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Secretary Sports Abid Majeed, Director Female Games Miss Rashida Ghaznavi, Director Operation Syed Saqlain Shah, and officials from the education department.

Accompanied by Director Female Games Rashida Ghaznavi, Director Operation Syed Saqlain Shah, Administrator Peshawar Sports Complex Jaffar Shah, District Sports Officer Tehseen Ullah, Chief Coach Shafqat Ullah, Administrator Hayatabad Sports Complex Shah Faisal, Asfandyar Khattak disclosed that the male games including hockey, table tennis, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling, basketball, gymnastics, Wushu and weightlifting while female athletes will compete in volleyball, netball, athletics, tug-of-war, badminton, table tennis and cricket.

The Games were postponed due to Covid-19 last year, he added. He said the selection of the players of 10 male and 7 female Games at district level has already been made and a proper database of each player part of the Games has been prepared.

Answering a question, he said, actually the selection was made last year so all the players selected for the Games would be eligible despite the passing of almost one year. The Chief Minister has given permission to hold the Games and the situation has normalized as well because the rate of the coronavirus down to1 percent but still will follow the instruction issued by NCOC, he said.

The players will be given prizes under the approved scheme. The players who win medals in the Games will be given a monthly stipend likewise the winners and runners-up of various Games would also give trophies, cash prizes and certificates besides play uniform including track-suites, shoes and playing kits. In response to various questions, he said that traditional games would be held after the U21 Games, and Games for the Person with Special Abilities would be organized in the last week of October 2021. He said like normal players, stipend would also be provided to the medalists of the Games for persons with Different Abilities.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only province where 1250 medal winning athletes are being given monthly stipend of Rs 10,000 to gold, Rs. 8000 to silver and Rs. 5000 to bronze medal.

Replying to a question regarding the Hockey League, he said that the league is his first experience. There will be flaws but it will be repeated again for the next three editions, Asfandyar Khattak said. "We will learn from the flaws," he said. The government has involved the private sector in sports and we got an offer from the leading firm from the private sector to purchase the lead for three years from the triple amount. The League will be made a permanent activity, followed by hosting football and volleyball and a talent hunt scheme as desired by the Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan, he informed.

He said that the aim of the government is to attract children to sports, he said. Many children who have performed in the U21 Games are playing at the national level. Murad Khan has qualified for the World Karate Championship, he said. Regarding the purchase of sports equipment, he said that the players' money would be spent on the players themselves. "No compromise would be made on the quality of shoes, kits and other equipment, '' he concluded.