Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar has presided over the first introductory meeting of Sports Board Punjab’s Advisory Board at the National Hockey Stadium on Friday.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Deputy Director Zahoor Ahmed, senior officers of Sports Department and several male and female students from various leading universities including Bakhtawar Ibraheem (GC), Aima Ibrar and Bilal Ahsan (UET), Ghulam Akbar and Eesha Sehar (King Edward Medical University), Rania Ameen and Hamza Rehman Abid (COMSATS), Jaweria Fatima and M Hussain (UCP), Malik Ayan Ibrar (Al-Aleem Medical College), Arooba, Tahira Saleem, Ammar Bilal, Irfan Ali and Hasnain Khokhar participated in the meeting.
In a major development, the university students have been included in Sports Board Punjab’s Advisory Board as members for the first time in the country’s history. The initiative aims to provide young people with a direct role in sports policy-making, planning and decision-making.
Addressing the meeting, Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that the youth are the future of Pakistan and their meaningful participation in decisions relating to sports is essential. “The first meeting of the SBP Advisory Board is not merely an introductory session but marked the beginning of a new era in which young people will have a direct role in shaping the future of sports in Punjab”.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said the Punjab government wants sports policies to be developed in accordance with the needs, interests and abilities of young people. “The university students have been included in the SBP Advisory Board so that they can present their ideas directly at the policy level”.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that for the first time in the history of Punjab, serious efforts are being made for the establishment of a Sports City, where young people will be provided comprehensive sports facilities under one roof. “The proposed Sports City would not only cater to sporting needs but would also include entertainment and other modern facilities for youth”.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar announced that effective measures would be taken to ensure the admission of talented athletes to universities under the sports quota system. “Special emphasis would also be placed on ensuring implementation of the sports quota system in private universities, so that talented young athletes who excel in sports can have better access to higher education”.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar further announced that all members of the SBP Advisory Board would also be included in relevant committees of the Punjab Sports Department, enabling them to play an active role in matters relating to sports development. “The SBP Advisory Board has been constituted for a one-year term, during which its members will submit proposals for the promotion of sports across the Punjab province”.
The participating students presented a number of proposals regarding the promotion of sports at universities, improvement of sports facilities, identification and development of talent, opportunities in modern and emerging sports, organization of university-level competitions and greater support for young athletes.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar appreciated the suggestions put forward by the students and said that the voice of young people would not merely be heard but their viable and actionable proposals would be incorporated into the Sports Department’s policy-making and future planning process.