PM Youth Talent Hunt Girls & Boys Table Tennis Championship Begins

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Apr, 2024) Special Assistant on Youth and Chairman Prime Minister Youth Talent Hunt program Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan on Friday inaugurated the Youth Talent Hunt table tennis provincial league which got under way here under the aegis of Directorate of Sports Islamia College University Peshawar at Lala Rafique Sports Arena.

Vice Chancellor Islamia College University Peshawar Professor Dr. Ali Muhammad, squash legend Qamar Zaman, Director of Operations Azizullah and Organizing Secretary Ali Hoti and other personalities were also present.

In the first phase, trials were held in all five regions including Swat, Hazara, Mardan, Bannu and Peshawar wherein boys and girls were selected to compete in the provincial league started here.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, chief guest Rana Mashood said that PM Youth Program is committed to highlight and hunt the talents of youth for enabling them to face future challenges. He said that it is the government’s effort to provide equal opportunities to the youth in sports competitions so that both the genders (boys & girls) can earn name for the country at national and international levels.

To provide opportunities to find more talent, such a program is a key in playing a role as a suitable platform for the youth to excel their hidden talent in 12 male and 10 female games as part of the PM Youth Talent Hunt program.

He said that sports have been given the status of an industry in civilized and developed countries and this is the reason why they have done outstanding work in the field of sports.

Rana Mashood lauded the players for their active participation in games which leads to their physical and mental health. He said that table tennis is a sport that promotes mental and physical health.

“Games Teach the lesson of competition and I believe that providing equal opportunity to the youth across the country to participate in sports events will lead to a healthy society,” he added.

“I advise the youth to actively participate in extra-curricular activities so that they could play an important role in creating a peaceful and healthy society,” he said.

He said, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif initiated sports projects as well as Youth Loan Scheme along with PM's Laptop Scheme and gave top priority to work for the welfare of youth of Pakistan.

He said the Talent Hunt Program under Higher education Commission (HEC) would give ample opportunities to the youth to come and show their hidden talent. He said through this program provincial and national leagues would be conducted in which boys could take part in 12 different games and the girls could also participate in 10 different games.

He said such a step was taken to bring the youth back to the sports fields by restricting them from negative activities and flourishing in the field of sports. To provide opportunities to them, through this way the youth could also reach to the international level. He said, after the provincial and national leagues, proper training and coaching camps would be organized under qualified coaches. The important thing about this league is that all the players have equal opportunities to qualify in the National League and the players would be selected for the National League in the third phase and the fourth phase, they would be sent for international competitions.

He said such talented players would be part of the training and coaching camps of various games for the Safe Games to be hosted by Pakistan and other international events.

“Remember that one of the objectives of the Talent Hunt Youth Sports League is to create an atmosphere of competition among the youth, to develop the spirit of tolerance and to promote the practice of sports in the country,”

Rana Mashood said. He said Pakistan is facing many challenges at home and abroad, but we are determined to provide a good future to our youth by providing them equal opportunities at the grassroots level.

“Let’s take a pledge that no matter what sector we belong to, our goal will be to work for the development and prosperity of Pakistan,” he added.

Earlier, the VC Islamia College University Peshawar Ali Muhammad welcomed the chief guest and said that such activities are very important for the physical and mental development of children and sports can reduce depression and increase the tendency towards positive activities.

APP/ijz/1620/