Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood said that the 73rd edition of Punjab Games will be organized at different venues of Nishtar Park Sports Complex in a befitting manner, he said this while addressing a high-profile meeting at National Hockey Stadium on Friday.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood said Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi will inaugurate Punjab Games at a grand opening ceremony on October 24. “All the relevant departments and stakeholders are on board for the smooth holding of Punjab Games in collaboration with Punjab Olympic Association”.
Vice-Chairman SBP Rao Zahid Qayyum, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Ehsan Bhutta and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi and other officials briefed Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood about different features of 73rd edition of Punjab Games in a high-profile meeting.
After the high-level meeting, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Ehsan Bhutta while addressing a press conference announced that over 5000 athletes from all over the province will take part in Punjab Games.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Director Admin Syed Umair Hassan, Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, Secretary Punjab Olympic Association Idris Haider Khawaja, Deputy Director Tariq Wattoo, Assistant Director Zahoor Ahmed and other officials were also present on this occasion.
Addressing the press conference, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Ehsan Bhutta informed that the competitions of 30 sports disciplines will be organized during 73rd Punjab Games out of which 8 games will be staged only for women. “We will also organize competitions for transgender and special children during the games”.
He said that the sports contingents from Gilgit Baltistan, AJK, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad will also participate in the grand event. “A torch-bearer rally for the Punjab Games will be taken out on Oct 22”.
“As many as 18 administrative committees will be formed for the smooth holding of major events. We have also arranged 35 hotels for participating
athletes. We have also increased the daily allowance of participating athletes and officials in view of growing inflation in the country”.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, answering a question said that Sports Board Punjab will provide best facilities to all participating teams during Punjab games. “The participation of transgender and special athletes will be of symbolic nature,” he added.
Elaborating further, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi said that cash prizes, medals will be awarded to all medal winners of Punjab Games. “After holding 72nd Punjab Games after a gap of 8 years in 2019 quite successfully, now we are going to hold the second edition in our tenure in the collaboration of Punjab Olympic Association”.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi further said that all the athletes will participate in Punjab Games purely on merit. “As many as 20 sports events will be organized in Nishtar Park Sports Complex venues while squash and cycling events will be organized at Punjab Squash Complex and DHA respectively”.