Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi has announced that competitions among athletes of the CM Punjab Sports Academies will be organised in August as part of preparations for next year's major sporting events. He made this announcement while chairing an important meeting at the National Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
The meeting was convened to review the performance of coaches and the progress of the CM Punjab Sports Academies. Commissioner Inland Revenue Behzad Anwar, Director Admin Abid Shaukat, Deputy Director Zahoor Ahmad and coaches from across the province participated in the meeting.
The meeting also reviewed the training programme of 2,500 athletes enrolled in the academies. Coaches representing all sports disciplines briefed the participants on training activities, athletes' progress and administrative arrangements at their respective academies.
Addressing the meeting, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi said Sports Board Punjab is preparing a pool of 5,000 athletes to strengthen the province's talent base. He said the CM Punjab Sports Academies had been launched with the objective of preparing athletes for the forthcoming National Games. Several major sports events including, Punjab Games and SAF Games are scheduled to be held next year".
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi expressed confidence that athletes trained under the academies would win gold medals and bring honour to Punjab and Pakistan. He also announced that the number of sports disciplines offered at the academies would be expanded from 19 to 25 with the addition of Rowing, Fencing, Gymnastics, Cycling and Muay Thai.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi said that the academies were nurturing a new generation of talented athletes capable of excelling at both national and international levels. He directed the relevant officials to resolve all issues highlighted by the coaches on a priority basis to ensure the smooth functioning of the academies and further improve the training environment.
CM Punjab Taekwondo Academy and Pakistan Wahdat Academy belt award ceremony
President of PML-N Lahore and MNA Malik Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar was the chief guest
CM Punjab Sports Academies launched to attract children towards healthy activities: Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi
A total of 180 young taekwondo players awarded promotional belts and certificates
LAHORE (July 11, 2026): A promotional belt award ceremony for players of the CM Punjab Taekwondo Academy and Pakistan Wahdat Taekwondo Academy was held at the Elite Training Centre, Nishtar Park Sports Complex, under the patronage of the Sports Board Punjab on Friday night.
President of PML-N Lahore and MNA Malik Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar attended the ceremony as the chief guest, while Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi was the guest of honour. MPA Shehbaz Khokhar, Khalid Khokhar and Deputy Director Sports Zahoor Ahmad were also present on this occasion.
A total of 180 young taekwondo players received promotional belts and certificates during the ceremony. The distribution included 31 Yellow Belts, 81 Green Belts, 40 Blue Belts and 16 Red Belts. In addition, 10 athletes who had represented Pakistan in national and international competitions were presented with special souvenirs in recognition of their achievements.
Addressing the ceremony, President of PML-N Lahore and MNA Malik Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar
said that promoting sporting activities was essential for building a healthy society. He urged parents to encourage their children to spend more time in playgrounds instead of mobile phones. "Sports help a lot in developing discipline, confidence and positive character".
President of PML-N Lahore and MNA Malik Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar appreciated Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi for making impressive efforts for promotion of sports culture among the younger generation and tracing sports talent from grassroots level.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, on this occasion said the CM Punjab Sports Academies have been launched to attract children towards healthy sporting activities and provide them with quality coaching facilities in accordance with the vision of CM Punjab. "Punjab Taekwondo Academy is imparting professional training to young players, enabling them to excel at national and international levels".
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi said that after Lahore, sports academies will be opened in all divisions of the province. He clarified that this is not summer camp. This training process will continue throughout the year.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi appreciated the parents for bringing their children to sports academy. He urged them to continue this training process even after summer vacation.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the distinguished guests distributed prizes, promotional belts and certificates among the players.