The first-ever Punjab Sports Festival 2012 was kicked off here at National Hockey Stadium Tuesday, amid lights, colours and jubilation. The Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif was the Chief Guest and declared the festival open. Kifayat Ullah lit the torch to open the games alongwith other sportsmen.
Around 6,000 men and women athletes, who have excelled at the inter-tehsil, district and division level stages of the festival, participated in the opening ceremony. To provide accommodation to a huge number of athletes and officials, the Punjab government has reserved 89 sports centres, schools and hostels for their one-day stay in the provincial metropolis.
After the ceremony, competitions in 15 different disciplines, including athletics, badminton, cricket (tape-ball and hard-ball separately), football, hockey, volleyball, kabaddi, karate, basketball, weightlifting, wrestling, taekwondo, marathon, and cycling will be held for the Chief Minister Cup in the festival.
A total cash prize of Rs 9.93 million will be awarded to winners of different events. All the 15 competitions will be held in different categories separately like the general public, high schools (boys and girls), colleges (male and female), universities, blind and special persons, press clubs, bar associations, departments/institutions and sports veterans.
Officials believe that this grand event will open a new era in sports. They said the sports festival would be made a regular annual feature to engage youth in healthy activities and to achieve the purpose of overall development of sports. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Shahbaz said the Punjab government is pursuing a comprehensive programme to promote sports and playgrounds are being constructed throughout the province.
He said sports helped the youth polish their abilities and a gigantic project of constructing playgrounds from Rahim Yar Khan to Attock was being implemented. He said the provision of sporting facilities was responsibility of the Punjab government and it was fulfilling its obligation efficiently.
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