Biggest Ever KP U21 Games Begins Amidst Great Fun

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Nov, 2021 ) :Biggest ever Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inter-District U21 Men Games Monday got underway amidst great fun and joys wherein more than 5000 players from all 35 districts are taking part in 10 different Games.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Labor and Culture Shoukat Ali Yousafzai and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health and Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra graced the occasion as guests and formally inaugurated the games to be continued at different venues across Peshawar till December 2.

Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) and focal person of the Chief Minister KP on uplift projects Asif Khan, MPA Malik Wajid Ullah Khan, MPA Pir Fida Khan, DG Sports KP Asfandyar Khan Khattak, Director Female Games Rashida Ghaznavi, Project Director Prime Minister 1000 Sports Facilities Murad Ali Mohmand, Director Operation Syed Saqlain Shah, Ex-Director Sports Tariq Mehmood, DSO Peshawar Tehseen Ullah, officials, coaches, players and large number of spectators were also present during the opening ceremony started with the recitation from the Quran by Hafiz Zaheer Ullah Babar, followed by national anthem and march past of all the participating teams from 35 districts across KP.

The live performance of the renowned singer Sajjad Khan who sung the KP Inter-District U21 Games song "Hum Jeethain Gay, Pakistan Jeethay Ga Ya Maidan Ha thumara Tum Jeethey Gay" which turned the whole complexion of the opening ceremony into a melodious one wherein players dances on the tones in the main arena of the Qayyum Sports Complex.

The Peshawar Sports Complex was decorated with various banners and illuminated with colourful lights for the opening ceremony. Excellent arrangements were made for the players and officials. All DSOs and RSOs earlier distributed full uniform and other playing equipment before the start of the game.

All players are competing in hockey, table tennis, judo, karate, taekwondo, gymnastics, wushu, weightlifting, wrestling and basketball. Soon after U21 Games, Games of the Merged Areas would start from December 7 wherein a total of 2500 players in 17 different Games would take part, followed by the U21 Female Games to be held in the last week of December wherein 2624 women players will participate in volleyball, netball, athletics, tug-of-war, badminton, table tennis and cricket.

KP Minister for Health and Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra said that everybody came on the field under the leadership of the best former international players and DSOs and received full accolades.

The participation of players from all districts is a proof of our success, he added. These players will compete in the field with full enthusiasm and the victory will be for KP and Pakistan, he said. He said that Peshawar has become the center of sports activities. Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have done record work in a short span of time and especially in the field of sports, Taimur said. Athletes are being provided facilities at their doorsteps, Taimur Saleem Jhagra said. He said projects worth billions of rupees are underway across the province. International Seminars on Sciences and gathering at Museum and Shahi Bagh Peshawar wherein hosting of exhibition on Pakistan Bloom Flowers, cars and Bike Exhibition attracted Peshawarites. Pakistan cricket team used to have one or two players earlier from KP but now more than half of the team is from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the legends are coming from this province like Younis Khan, Umar Gul, Shaheen, Yasir Shah, Junaid Khan, Shahid Afridi, he said.

"Sports creates tolerance, discipline, fair play and many virtues,'' Minister for Labor and Culture Shoukat Ali Yousafzai said in his speech. "We learn a lot from participating in sports, he said. "Everyone should participate in sports and show their best skills," he said. Labor Minister Shaukat Yousafzai has said that hard work is a condition for fulfilling every dream. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where law and order situation used to be very bad in the past, now there is complete peace, he said. There is also peace in Afghanistan as well, he said, adding, this region will develop all over the world because of the peace restoration. Pakistan cricket team will soon have 100% players from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of the present exciting talent. "We have no shortage of talent and now the players are getting opportunities," he said. Stadiums will be constructed at the level of Union Council at a cost of Rs. 3 billion and another Rs. 1000 million allocated for the merged districts for developing sports infrastructure which will provide sports facilities to the players near their homes. According to DG Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak, the players will also be awarded cash prizes as per the policy and monthly stipends will also be fixed for the best players and medalists.