Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood distributed cash prizes among medal winning athletes of the Pakistan triathlon team that exhibited excellent performance and won 5 medals in recently-held International Triathlon Games in Thailand.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Director Admin Syed Omair Hasan, Deputy Director Tariq Wattoo, Secretary Pakistan Modern Pentathlon Federation (PMPF) Zahoor Ahmed were also present at an impressive prize distribution ceremony held at National Hockey Stadium under the auspices of Sports Board Punjab on Thursday evening.
Secretary PMPF Zahoor Ahmed gave thorough briefing to Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi about the event and the performance of Pakistan players in International Triathlon Games.
Three national athletes Labib Ahmed, Attaullah and M Afnan were given cash prizes of Rs 1 lakh each for winning silver medals while Arslan and Mohsin got Rs 75,000 each for winning bronze medals in the event. Head coach and manager of the national triathlon team Tariq Ahmad Rashid was given Rs 50,000 for his key role in medal-winning performance in International Triathlon Games.
Speaking on this occasion, Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood congratulated Pakistan Modern Pentathlon Federation and national triathlon team on winning five medals in the International Triathlon Games. He said that the national team demonstrated wonderful performance in the running, shooting and swimming events of the International Triathlon Games.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood said a medal won in any sport belongs to the country and the nation and the medal winner is the true hero of the nation. “We are fully encouraging and supporting the athletes who are winning medals for the country in any sports discipline,” he added.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood said the game of pentathlon is getting rapid acceptance among the young generation of the province. “The medal winning performance of the national team will definitely prove to be a great inspiration for our talented youth. Now a large number of youth are taking keen interest in pentathlon games,” he added.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi on this occasion said that Sports Board Punjab is extending all possible facilities and supports for the
promotion of pentathlon games in the province. “Our athletes demonstrated superb performance in the recently-held International Triathlon Games”.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi further said that Sports Board Punjab is promoting every sport across the province as part of our mission. “All kinds of facilities are being provided to all talented and emerging male and female players as per our policy,” he maintained.
It is pertinent to note here that the national team won three silver and two bronze medals in International Triathlon Games in which teams from Pakistan, Thailand, Nepal, Taiwan and Philippines participated. Pakistan's 9-member team participated in running, shooting and swimming events of the International Triathlon Games.