Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar and Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan jointly inaugurated the Pak-China Friendship Games 2026 at a grand colourful inaugural ceremony at the Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium Hall here on Thursday.
Punjab Sports Minister Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar and Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan unveiled the trophy on the occasion. Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar also took oath from participating athletes.
Vice Chairman Sports Board Punjab Salman Malik, Secretary Sports Punjab Fazal-ur-Rehman, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Additional Secretary Shabbir Hussain Cheema and other senior officials and sports personalities also attended the largely attended ceremony.
Addressing the mega opening ceremony, Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that today is very historic day because Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Department is hosting grand event of Pak-China Friendship Games to celebrate the 75 years of friendship between Pakistan and China in accordance with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister. “More than 2,000 male and female athletes from across Pakistan are participating in the Pak-China Friendship Games”.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that Pakistan and China have always treated each other as brothers on a number of occasions. Pakistan-China friendship is higher than the Himalayas and deeper than the oceans. “The Pakistan-China friendship has stood the test of every challenge and whenever Pakistan faced difficult times, China stood by Pakistan like a brother and a trusted friend. The friendship between Pakistan and China is built on strong foundations of trust, mutual respect and cooperation”.
Welcoming the participants, Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said it was a matter of great pleasure that athletes from across the country had gathered in Lahore to participate in the Pak-China Friendship Games. He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a great example of the close friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that around 70,000 athletes had appeared in trials for the Pak-China Friendship Games, reflecting the immense interest of Pakistan youth in the grand event. “Today, Lahore is sending a message to the entire world that we will continue to celebrate and strengthen Pak-China friendship through sports,” he said.
Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar further said that Punjab is number one among all provinces in sports, adding that the provincial government is taking a number of initiatives to promote sporting activities and provide opportunities to young athletes.
Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan described the Pak-China Friendship Games as an amazing initiative and said the event is an excellent manifestation of the friendship between Pakistan and China. He wished best of luck to all participating athletes and organisers of Pak-China Friendship Games.
Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan congratulated Sports and Youth Affairs Department Punjab for organizing highly inspiring Pak-China Friendship Games. He also thanked Punjab government for extending warm hospitality to Chinese people.
Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan said the people of Pakistan and China enjoyed close friendship for many decades. “Pakistan and China have collaborated with each other in multiple areas including trade, economy, culture, education, security, and defence. CPEC is a prime example of trusted cooperation between Pakistan and China”.
Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan further said that Pak-China relations are best example of mutual respect, trust and support. “CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz had fruitful discussions with Chinese leadership in multiple departments including agriculture, industry and technology during her recent visit.”
Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan expressed the hope that sports cooperation would further strengthen people-to-people contacts between the two countries. “Long live Pak-China friendship,” the Chinese consul general said.
Secretary Sports Punjab Fazal-ur-Rehman on this occasion said that there is a plenty of room for collaboration between Pakistan and China especially in sports sector. “Pakistan and China should arrange training programmes for the coaches and athletes under exchange programme and this practive will prove to be very fruitful for both the countries”.
The ceremony featured colourful cultural performances representing different regions and provinces of Pakistan, adding to the festive atmosphere of the grand opening ceremony.
Later, Punjab Sports Minister Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar, Chinese Consul General in Lahore Mr Sun Yan, Vice Chairman Sports Board Punjab Salman Malik, Secretary Sports Punjab Fazal-ur-Rehman and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi were awarded souvenirs.