Under-16 Inter-Division Hockey and Matt Wrestling Championship explodes into action under the auspices of Sports Board Punjab

Under-16 Inter-Division Hockey and Matt Wrestling Championship got underway under the auspices of Sports Board Punjab at Mini National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Shahid Zaman and Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail were the guests of honour at the opening ceremony. They were introduced with the players and officials of opening match. The players and officials of opening match also had group photographs both guests of honour.
Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail announced the opening of Under-16 Inter-Division Hockey and Matt Wrestling Championship. Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Shahid Zaman and Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail also witnessed the opening match of championship between Gujranwala and Sahiwal divisional hockey teams. Gujranwala won the match by 3-1.
Director Admin Ijaz Munir, Director Sports Yasmeen Akhtar, Divisional Sports Officer Lahore Tariq Khanzada, Deputy Directors Zahoor Ahmed, Rauf Bajwa and Chand Perveen, Chief Sports Consultant Hafeez Bhatti, District Sports Officer Lahore Tanveer Shah and other officials were also present on this occasion.
Besides them, Olympian Shabana Akhtar, former international women hockey player Razia Malik, Divisional Sports Officers Manzar Shah Farid, Rana Nadeem Anjum, Tehsil Sports Officer Nasir Malik, provincial coach Zarina Waqar and a large number of young players also attended the opening ceremony.
While talking to media, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Shahid Zaman said that holding Under-16 Inter-Division Hockey and Matt Wrestling Championship is a beginning. “Actually, we are preparing a pool of talented players for national sports teams as per our constitutional obligation. Several of these promising players will serve national teams in future,” he added.
Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail in his media talk said that Under-16 Inter-Division Hockey and Matt Wrestling Championship is being organized as per our strategy to prepare a crop of young talented athletes belonging to different games. “As per our plan, we have selected 10 games for Talent Hunt Programme and we will organize championships of two games every month”.
Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail informed that a selection committee has also been formed which will select the highly talented athletes of different games. “These highly talented athletes will be chosen in Punjab’s teams for participation in bigger sports events,” he elaborated.
Replying a query, Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail further said that these sports events are being organized under our 2-year Annual Sports Calendar. “This Annual Sports Calendar has been prepared after consulting all the stakeholders including provincial sports association. This is a big funding programme and we will present Annual Sports Calendar programme in provincial cabinet for approval in near future to make it a permanent feature”.
More than 450 male and female players from all divisions are participating in the 6-day Under-16 Inter-Division Hockey and Matt Wrestling Championship being organized under the auspices of Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab as part of Sports Board Punjab’s Talent Hunt Programme.
Former international women hockey player Razia Malik holding national flag led the march past which was attended by all the participating players and officials from all divisions of Punjab at the opening ceremony