By Fazal Khaliq
MINGORA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Sports and Culture Mahmood Khan has said that since the inception of PTI Government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, efforts have been started to provide maximum sports and recreational facilities for youth so that youth talent could be provided on national and international level.
He was speaking in the inaugural ceremony of U-23 Inter District Games at hockey ground Makanbagh Mingora on Thursday.
Director General Sports Miss Rasheeda Gaznavi and Director Sports Tariq Mahmood, Deputy Commissioner Swat Atif Rahman, elders of the city and youth in large number were also in attendance. The Minister said that the project to establish playgrounds and stadiums on Tehsil level was under way and hurdles in the timely completion of the project were being removed.
“PTI led provincial government aims to enable youth of far flung areas to have modern sports facilities. Youth is our asset and the future runner of the state,” he said.
He said that the present government provided sports goods to all the schools in the province. “Apart from provision of sports goods to all schools, sports kits were given to every sportsman. Sportsmen were also facilitated to show their talent,” he said.
He announced that the project of a large sports complex in Swat would be started in the current financial year.
The Minister for sports also announced the installation of Astro turf in the hockey ground in Mingora and assured immediate installation.
“This year the Mr. Pakistan Body Building” tournament will be organized in Swat which will promote tourism in Swat besides sports promotion” he announced.
Earlier the Minister formally inaugurated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa games 2016 by cutting a tape while colorful events were also presented on the occasion.
Group photo of the badminton winner team with the KP sports director in Swat. Photo by Fazal Khaliq
District Swat won the Swat region badminton tournament in KP games 2016
In the first competition of the KP games, district Swat badminton team defeated district Dir Lower to grab the title.
In the semi-finals, Swat defeated Chitral and Lower Dir defeated Shangla to reach the final. In the final team event, Shahid Ahmad and Muhammad Hamza of Swat defeated Najib and Slaman of Dir Lower while in double category, Swat’s Abdul Basit and Faisal Saeed defeated Mohsin and Salman of Dir Lower. KP Director Sports Tariq Mahmood, president of KP Badminton Association Zafar Ali Kaka and Swat district badminton association president Yahya Dawlat Khel distributed prizes among the winners.
