Year 2017 Is A Sports Year, Punjab Minister For Sports

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jan, 2017 ) - Punjab Minister for Sports, Jahangir Khanzada has said that under the vision of the Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif the year 2017 is a year of sports and mega sports event will be organised to the engage youth in healthy activities.

He said after presiding over the core committee of Sports board Punjab on its fourth day here at the national hockey stadium. Also present were Secretary Sports Punjab, Nayyar Iqbal, Director General Sports Punjab, Zulfiqar Ahmad Ghumman, MNA, Shazia Fatima and other officials of the SBP.

"We will be holding elite sports events including Kabaddi World Cup and the South Asia swimming championship to mark the year 2017 as the year of sports,"he told APP after the meeting. The Sports Minister said the government has attached great importance to sports and it is determined to develop a sports culture by organizing sports events .

The other events to be organised in year 2017 include, inter provincial senior and junior games, Chief Minister Talent hunt programme, coaches training programmes and Chief Minister sports events and dozen of other sports, he added.

DG,SBP informed the meeting that coaches and sports consultants are being inducted in each district and division of the province to expand the span of sports activities and to raise the standard of sports.

"As per the vision of Punjab Chief Minister participation in sports is the right of the masses and that is why we have chalked out a comprehensive programme so that the year 2017 be remembered as a memorable year of sports activities," he added.

"Grounds and playing fields are being equipped with floodlights so that people can take part in sports activities in their leisure time in summer ,"said Ghumman. MNA Shazia Fatima speaking on the occasion acknowledged the efforts of the Punjab Government for the cause of sports and said SBP was serving as an ideal platform to take drastic measures to fulfill the vision of the Punjab Chief Minister for the development of sports ,holding of sports events and creation of sports infrastructure.

"We are noticing a lot of sports activities under the banner of SBP and that day is not far when Punjab will emerge as force to reckon with at the international sports scene,"she added.