POA President For Bringing FATA Youth In Mainstream Games

Zeeshan Mehtab Published January 19, 2018 | 07:10 PM

Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Lt Gen (R) Arif Hassan Friday said the youth of war-torn tribal areas to be brought in mainstream by providing them ample opportunities to excel and exploiting their hidden talent

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jan, 2018 ) :Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Lt Gen (R) Arif Hassan Friday said the youth of war-torn tribal areas to be brought in mainstream by providing them ample opportunities to excel and exploiting their hidden talent.

Talking to APP, he disclosed that he held meetings with Corps Commander Peshawar, Political Agent Khyber Agency Captain (R) Khalid Mehmood and President FATA Olympic Association Shahid Khan Shinwari and discussed in details the ways to bring the talented FATA youth into mainstream games to show their hidden talent at national and international levels.

We want to help tribal youth who were traumatized and have been mostly confined to their home due to insurgency and militancy, he said, adding, the Corps Commander Peshawar, Khalid Mehmood and Shahid Khan are endeavoring hard for the promoting sports activities.

During the meeting he said construction of a full shooting range, swimming pools in all agencies and development of a modern day Sports Complex in Jamrud, Khyber Agency were recommended while provision of basic facilities to the tribal youth in games including football, wrestling, and martial arts were also suggested.

He said the political agent Khyber Agency arranged a shooting contest last year and the next was under way in which national and international shooters would participate. He said the political agent Khyber Agency was recommended to upgrade the same so that along with skeet shooting, air-rifle, air pistol and 9MM air shooting could be organized in FATA.

Arif Hassan said the forthcoming 4th Inter-Provincial Games would be organized in Peshawar in March this year. He also appreciated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for approving grant for the games besides holding Under-23 Games for the third time wherein more than 11,000 athletes would take part in male and female games.

About Commonwealth Games in Australia, he said due to non-seriousness approach towards those important events we were not hopeful of achieving desired result.