Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting which took a number of decisions for the promotion of sports and provision of opportunities of healthy activities to the youth in the province. Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmad, Secretary Sports Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik, Secretary Information Mohyuddin Wani, Sports, PHA director generals and Lahore district coordination officer were present on the occasion.
Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmad gave a briefing about the measures taken by the Sports Department for the holding of Punjab Sports Festival 2012 and promotion of sports in the province. This meeting decided that national games will be arranged in the provincial metropolis in September and October in which players of federal departments and army will also participate.
Male and female players from all over the country will take part in this mega event to be organized in Lahore, which would promote national unity and strengthen federation. The meeting also decided that prior to national games, Punjab Youth Festival will be organised in July and August. The festival to be started at union council level will help promote traditional culture and social values of Punjab and will result in healthy recreational facilities to the masses. Similarly, sports academies will be set up at district level for the training of young players on modern lines to enable them display their best performance.
The meeting also gave approval to the revival of two percent sports budget of the district governments which will be spent on the training of players and provision of modern sports facilities at the district level. It was also decided to formulate a comprehensive strategy to polish the talent and take full benefit from the sports potential of 12 lakh players who will take part in Punjab Sports Festival 2012.
The participants of the meeting were of the view that these players are heroes of Punjab and will earn a good name for the country in the field of sports.
The CM directed that sports endowment fund be established for the welfare of national heroes who had earned laurels for the country. The setting up of this fund will be a revolutionary step to mitigate the economic problems of veteran players as well as their welfare.
