Secretary Youth Affairs and Sports Punjab Fazal ur Rehman formally inaugurated the CM Punjab Inter-Division Kabaddi Championship, organized by the Sports Board Punjab, at an impressive opening ceremony at Punjab Stadium on Monday night.
SBP Vice Chairman Salman Malik, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Director Admin Abid Shaukat, Director Sports Chand Perveen, Deputy Director Zahoor Ahmed and a large number of kabaddi enthusiasts were also present on the occasion. The kabaddi teams from all divisions of Punjab were introduced to the chief guest during the opening ceremony.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Secretary Youth Affairs and Sports Punjab Fazal ur Rehman said that the participating teams had been formed after competitions at the tehsil and district level, with the best players selected to represent their respective divisions. “Kabaddi is a symbol of our culture, traditions and the strength of our youth. CM Punjab Kabaddi Championship marks a significant milestone in the revival of traditional sports," he remarked.
Secretary Youth Affairs and Sports Punjab Fazal ur Rehman said that it is Chief Minister’s vision that our youth should participate in all Olympic and traditional sports. “CM Punjab has declared 2026 as 'Year of Youth' and Punjab Sports Department is organising maximum sports events to save youth from the negativities of internet and other electronic gadgets”.
Secretary Youth Affairs and Sports Punjab Fazal ur Rehman further said that the 19 free CM Sports Academies is a mega initiative of Punjab Sports Department. “In these academies, male and female athletes of U-6 to U-19 age groups are participating in 19 different games. Our expert coaches will identify talented players from these participants and the selected talented athletes will be given further advanced training to prepare them for national and international sports events”.
Highlighting the Punjab government's commitment to sports, Secretary Youth Affairs and Sports Punjab Fazal ur Rehman said that practical measures were being taken under the vision of the Chief Minister Punjab to promote traditional games. “Providing equal sporting opportunities across Punjab remains the government's top priority, emphasizing that sports play a vital role in engaging youth in positive activities”.
Secretary Youth Affairs and Sports Punjab Fazal ur Rehman said that traditional games like kabaddi help connect the younger generation with their cultural heritage. “Continued investment in modern sports infrastructure and quality competitions will further strengthen the sports sector.”
Meanwhile, exciting matches continued at Punjab Stadium on the second day of the championship. As per results, Multan Division defeated Bahawalpur Division 38-26, Faisalabad Division overcame Dera Ghazi Khan Division 42-23, Sahiwal Division beat Sargodha Division 36-23, while Gujranwala Division secured an impressive 45-21 victory over Rawalpindi Division.
In earlier matches, Lahore Division emerged victorious against Sargodha Division by 47-25, Sahiwal Division defeated Bahawalpur Division by 43-23 while Faisalabad Division outclassed Rawalpindi Division 45-19.