PESHAWAR: The 4th edition of the Inter-Provincial Games under the aegis of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and with the collaboration of KP Sports Directorate General (DG) and KP Olympic Association, commenced here with great enthusiasm on Sunday.
Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Lieutenant Gen (R) Arif Hassan formally inaugurated the games. Former Hockey Olympian Manzoor-ul-Hassan, Sports, Tourism, Culture and Youth Affairs Secretary Muhammad Tariq Khan, POA Secretary Khalid Mehmood, POA Vice President Syed Aqil Shah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Sports DG Junaid Khan, KP Female Games Director Rashida Ghaznavi, Pakistan Volleyball Federation Chairman Chaudhary Yaqoob, Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS) Secretary General Asia Amjad Aziz Malik, former Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) DG Dr Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, Organizing Secretary Zulfiqar Ali Butt, Operations Director Syed Saqlain Shah, officials, players and a large number of spectators were present at the games.
A total of 1700 athletes and more than 160 officials are taking part in 25 different games including archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, bodybuilding, gymnastics, handball, hockey, ju-jitsu, kabaddi, karate, rowing, rugby, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, tug-of-war, volleyball, weightlifting with 11 disciplines for female and 25 for males.
The disciplines of cycling, golf, shooting and judo are not included. The games started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Nida Niat, followed by a smart march past.
World gold medalist in wrestling, Inayat Ullah carried the national flag, followed by a Frontier Corps (FC) contingent holding the Olympic flag. The torchbearers led by double gold medalist Khalid Noor formally flamed the games torch. Soon after the march past, balloons and pigeons were released in the air and the official announcement of the games commencing was made.
It is for the first time that a contingent of 100 athletes from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 150 from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and 100 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) took part alongside 300 athletes from Balochistan, 300 from Punjab, 300 from Sindh, 100 from Islamabad, and 300 from KP.
The POA president lauded the KP government for approving a grant of more than Rs 40 million for the KP Olympic Association’s organizing committee. He said that in the interest of the promotion of sports in the country, the POA is keen to provide maximum participation opportunities to the youth of AJK and GB. He urged the KP governor to extend support to FATA’s Olympic Association so that the youth of the area can actively participate in these games.
He also said that more facilities would be ensured to AJK, FATA, Islamabad and GB so that players from these areas could come at par with Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and KP.
Replying to a question about athletics he said that two groups each from Sindh and Balochistan turned up and such issues would be resolved when both the Pakistan Athletic Federation (PAF) and POA jury committee sit together by Sunday evening.
Sports DG Junaid Khan assured that the KP government is very keen on extending its support to the POA for holding the games. He said that all facilities of various disciplines have been revamped to ensure international standards.
He further stated that a request to attend the presentation ceremony on March 20 has already been made to the PM of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Earlier, folk dancers Mehsud, Khattak Dance, and Versatile Dance Company Lahore performed traditional dances of Kalasha, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, GB, AJK, Waziristan Agency FATA.
The participating athletes also joined the dances enthusiastically.
