Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs and Chairman Sports Board Punjab Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar presided over an introductory meeting of Sports Board Punjab’s new members at the National Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.
Vice Chairman SBP Awais Rauf, Additional Secretary Sports Farhan Farooq, MPA Ajmal Khan Chandia, Director General Sports Punjab Pervez Iqbal, Olympian Arshad Nadeem, Olympian Kh Junaid, international tennis star and President Pakistan Tennis Federation Aisamul Haq, Umer Aslam from PTV, Director Sports GCU Waseem Akhtar, Director Sports Kinnaird College Dr Ammara Rubab, Arshad Sattar of Wrestling Association, Asad Zia from Bank of Punjab and other officials attended the meeting.
Director General Sports Punjab Pervez Iqbal gave an in-depth briefing to participants of meeting. He said that the promotion of sports is our mission and we are also taking all possible measures for the welfare sports community. “Sports Board Punjab is also awarding stipends to top performing players under Sports Endowment Fund”.
All the board members thanked Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar for giving them an opportunity to serve the sports community of the province as member of Sports Board Punjab. They also gave various useful suggestions for the development of sports culture among the younger generation of the province.
Addressing the meeting, Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that the Punjab Games will be organised in near future in which more than 10 lakh athletes from across the province will participate. “The Punjab Games competitions will be held from Union Council to Punjab level and it will be a golden opportunity for male and female athletes of far flung areas to prove their sports potential,” he added.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar further said that a compact sports calendar comprising complete detail and schedule of next year’s sports activities will be prepared. “This calendar will be presented in the next general body meeting of Sports Board Punjab,” he added.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that new programmes will be introduced for the development of sports across the province. “Sports Board Punjab will organize several major sports events to produce fresh talented male and female players. We are also focusing on preparing our players for next National Games and South Asian Games,” he informed.
Speaking on this occasion, Vice Chairman Sports Board Punjab Awais Rauf said that all the members of Sports Board Punjab will play an active role for the development of sports in all parts of the province. “All the stakeholders will have to play an effective role for producing and preparing highly talented players for the next Olympic Games,” he added.
International tennis star Aisamul Haq on this occasion said that he is ready to play his role and cooperate with Sports Board Punjab for the development of other games apart from tennis. “We are planning to host two ITF tennis events this year in Pakistan.
Expressing his views on this occasion, Olympian Arshad Nadeem expressed his determination to work with Sports Board Punjab for the development of sports. He also thanked Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs for choosing him as a member of Sports Board Punjab.
Arshad Sattar of Wrestling Association said that Sports Board Punjab has taken several effective measures for the promotion of sports culture in the past. “We will fully cooperate with Sports Board Punjab in this noble cause in future as well”.