PESHAWAR
The closing ceremony of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Games was held, where the provincial Minister for Sports, Syed Fakhar Jahan, distributed awards among the athletes. Secretary of Sports Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Director General of Sports Abdul Nasir Khan, Additional DG Sports Rasheeda Ghaznavi, Director of Sports Operations Nematullah Marwat, and Deputy Director of Sports Jamshed Baloch were also present.
In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Games, Peshawar secured first position with 62 gold, 28 silver, and 17 bronze medals. Hazara took second place with 15 gold, 20 silver, and 25 bronze medals. Kohat came in third with 13 gold, 14 silver, and 27 bronze medals. Malakand secured fourth place with 10 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze medals.
Mardan finished fifth with seven gold, 18 silver, and three bronze medals, while Dera Ismail Khan took sixth place with six gold, eight silver, and 17 bronze medals.
In his speech, Provincial Minister for Sports Syed Fakhar Jahan announced that modern and new sports complexes will be established across the province.
Athletes who win gold medals in these games will receive a monthly stipend, and gold medalists from these games will compete against winners of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
He stated that sports facilities in Peshawar are better compared to other districts, and many more games are scheduled in the province this year. Everything will be based on merit, and coaches involved in unfair practices against players will be removed.
He emphasized that athletes should continue working hard and learn from their mistakes. He noted that players who succumb to pressure never succeed; instead, confidence and perseverance lead to victory.
He also mentioned that the best players were selected for Peshawar region’s teams, and a committee will be formed to evaluate the performance of underperforming regions. The DG Sports has requested a report on this matter next week.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Sports Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, in his speech, highlighted that female athletes were given equal opportunities alongside male athletes in the games.
He stated that there is no shortage of talent among the youth, as seen in the recent Quaid-e-Azam Games, where the province performed well in multiple events.
He added that if these games had been held in Peshawar, they could have won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He assured that sporting events for young athletes will continue.
