PESHAWAR
The 29th Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Person with Different Abilities Games organized by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, kicked off at the Peshawar Sports Complex here on Friday.
Provincial Minister for Information and Higher Education Kamran Khan Bangash was the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony. Director General Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak, Director Youth Saleem Jan Marwat, Director Female Rashida Ghaznavi, Director Sports Operations Syed Saqlain Shah, Deputy Director Accounts Amjad Iqbal, Director Development Saleem Raza, DSO Peshawar Tehseenullah Khan, Administrator Shah Faisal and Jafar Shah and other personalities were present.
More than 450 players from across the province are participating in 34 events who marched on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony. The national anthem was played. The Minister for Information and Higher Education, Kamran Bangash, said that the provincial government was taking concrete steps for the promotion and development of sports and the welfare of the athletes.
He said International Boxing Competitions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa All Pakistan Hockey League, Inter-School U16 Cricket Championship are some of the successful sports event which is proof and commitment of the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa toward promotion of Games by bringing youth to come and exhibit their talent.
He also lauded the Directorate of Sports for continuously holding the Games for Person with Special Abilities from the last 29-years. Tariq Mehmood, the then director sports initiated and masterminded these Games in 1992 in Abbottabad, Hazara and only the 28th and 29th editions of the Games organized in Peshawar while 27 other editions held in Abbottabad City supported and financed by government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said like other players, Persons with different Abilities are the key to bring back medals in the Paralympic Games. He said besides taking keen interest the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the supervision of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is working on developing of sports infrastructure across the province and that is why currently work on 151 sports projects are under construction and more than 90 percent of work on these projects so far completed.
He said, the Directorate of Sports is also giving monthly stipends to 1250 players who won medals in the U16, Inter-Provincial, National Games, U21 and U23 Games.
He said the government has not forgotten to have Games for the Persons with Special Abilities and like other players they are given opportunities in sports festivals which are aimed at giving them opportunities to show their talents.
The competitions also include 34 different Games – including 17 for female players.
He said the Persons with different abilities made the country and the nation proud by winning international level competitions and will continue to do so and we will continue to support them, he said, adding that best arrangements have been made for the Games.
Kamran said he was specially directed by Mahmood Khan to talk to players about facilities. All the 450 players were provided full uniform – tracksuits, accommodation, food, travelling besides best opportunities of ensuring international standard environment to the players during the Games.
He said, Directorate Sports KP is working hard in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to highlight the talents of the Persons with Different Abilities like other players and bring them to the fore. It is expected that the players will show their best abilities in these games.
He congratulated the Directorate of Sports KP and Youth Affairs for organizing the Games. Players from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are taking part.
