Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi inaugurated 3rd Pak-Sri Lanka International Savate Championship at a grand colourful opening ceremony at Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium Hall on Thursday.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi also unveiled the championship trophy before being introduced to both Pakistan and Sri Lankan teams and their officials. Pakistan and Sri Lankan contingents and their officials also had group photographs with both guests of honours prior to the Savate competitions.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi also exchanged souvenirs at the inaugural ceremony and witnessed exciting competitions of 3rd Pak-Sri Lanka International Savate Championship.
Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, Director Youth Affairs Syed Omair Hasan, DSO Tanveer Shah, Secretary Ambreen Iftikhar, President Sri Lankan Savate Federation Prasad Wickramasinghe, coach Lanka Rathnayake, captain K Dilaxiny, Pakistan team coach Saeed Butt and captain Daood Mirza were also present on this occasion.
Talking to the media at the grand colourful opening ceremony, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz thanked the Sri Lankan Savate contingent for touring Pakistan. “Hosting Pak-Sri Lanka 3rd International Savate Championship is definitely a big honour for all of us. Now Pakistan is hosting major sports events regularly, which reflects that our country is a safe and secure place for international sports competitions”.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz further said that after Pak-Sri Lanka 3rd International Savate Championship, Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab is planning to host more international sports events in future. “Female athletes are participating in 9 events out of 13 competitions during the championship which is good omen. It is enough to gauge that the Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab is putting special emphasis on the growth of sports culture among females of the province”.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi on this occasion said Sports Board Punjab is providing maximum playing opportunities to all talented male and female athletes of the province. “We are quite upbeat that Pak-Sri Lanka 3rd International Savate Championship will help a lot in promoting Pakistan’s soft image among the international sports community”.
Earlier, national anthems of both the countries were presented during the mega opening ceremony. Dozens of gymnasts, martial arts players and roller skaters won huge appreciation from the large audience through their eye-catching performances.
As per results, on the first day of 3rd Savate Championship, the first 60kg fight between Pakistan and Sri Lankan women finished as draw while Pakistan women emerged winner in the second 56kg second fight.
In the third -46kg fight, Sri Lankan boy Abdur Rasheed defeated his Pakistani counterpart quite comfortably. The last bout was fought between Pakistan and Sri Lankan women in the -36kg weight category in which the guest team emerged triumphant.