JAMRUD
A merged tribal districts colorful sports gala was inaugurated here under the auspices of the directorate of sports merged areas at Sports Complex here on Tuesday.
Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri was the chief guest at the opening ceremony of event where Secretary Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amir Sultan Tareen, DG Sports KP Khalid Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner Noor Wali Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner Finance Khyber Haseeb-ur-Rehman, Director Sports Merged Districts Pir Abdullah Shah, former PTI provincial candidate PK 106 Haji Amir Mohammad Khan Afridi, DSO Khyber Rahad Gul Malguri and other senior officials of various departments of the province.
As many as 3631 players are taking part in the sports gala in which various major games would be played from February 22 to February 27 at different grounds in Peshawar.
These players participating in different games which include football, volleyball, kabaddi, hockey, basketball and athletics and these games would be played on different grounds including Football Tahmas Khan Football Stadium Peshawar, Volleyball Islamia College University Peshawar, Kabaddi Mohmand, Hockey Islamia College, Basketball and Athletics at Peshawar Sports Complex.
The kits and other equipment have been distributed among the players who hailed from seven districts including Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur, Orakzai, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Kurram, Sub Division Tank, Sub Division Peshawar, Sub Division. Players from Kohat, Sub Division DI Khan, Sub Division Bannu, Sub Division Lucky are participating.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri said that huge funds had been allocated by the federal government and provincial government for the construction of sports grounds.
He added that an amount of Rs 7 billion had been allocated for the construction and improvement of sports grounds in Pakhtunkhwa. The provincial government had also allocated funds for the construction of sports grounds in the tribal districts.
He said the provincial government had allocated funds for construction of grounds at merged tribal districts and added that currently construction of grounds was underway in Tirah, Malaguri, Zakhakhel and other areas.
Giving details, he said that Rs 279 million had been allocated for Bajaur, Rs70 million for Mohmand, Rs 289 million for Khyber, Rs335 million for Orakzai, Rs177 million for South Waziristan, Rs 595 million and Rs 145 million for Kurram and Rs 253 million for North Waziristan.
Similarly, the grounds in Kohat, Peshawar, Bannu, Tank and DI Khan sub divisions were also being improved. He said that Rs 2204 million had been allocated for merged tribal districts and sub divisions.
He said that security forces, tribal elders, religious scholars, journalists and the people of those areas had made valuable sacrifices for the sake of peace in the tribal districts.
He said that the inimical forces could not succeed in their nefarious design and conspiracies and they would be eliminated with help of people. He was of the view that holding sports fairs in the region will prove to be useful for promoting peace in this country and region.
