LAHORE: The “Baba Guru Nanak International Kabaddi Festival 2024” was held with great enthusiasm at PMU, Kartarpur, jointly organized by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Pakistan Kabaddi Federation.
The event saw a large turnout of Sikh pilgrims from across the world, with many pilgrims from India also attending to witness this unique sporting event.
The festival was graced by prominent figures, including Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, Chairman of the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation and Provincial Minister for Industry and Commerce, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs and Chairman of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sohail Burth, Provincial Minister for Law Punjab, Bilal Akbar, Provincial Minister for Transport Punjab, Saifullah Khokhar, Additional Secretary Shrines, Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi, CEO of Kartarpur, and other distinguished personalities.
Chaudhry Shafay Hussain congratulated the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation for the successful organization of the International Kabaddi Festival. He emphasized that such cultural events play a vital role in strengthening ties between Pakistan and India.
Congratulating the winning team, he said that Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji taught the values of peace, love, and humanity, and his teachings are a beacon for not only the Sikh community but for people of all faiths. He added that for the first time, Kabaddi has been introduced as a festival in Kartarpur, and the tournament will be held annually in the future with further improvements to the grounds.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora congratulated the government of Pakistan for supporting the global promotion of Kabaddi. He stated that organizing such events not only advances the sports sector but also sends a message of love and unity between the people of both nations. He stressed that the foundation for annual Kabaddi matches has been laid today as such events can improve relations between the two countries.
Sohail Burth, Bilal Akbar, Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi, and other leaders also spoke expressing that politics should not interfere in sports. They mentioned that efforts were made to invite an Indian team to the festival, but unfortunately, like the cricket team, the Kabaddi team was not allowed to participate. However, they assured that they will continue to work towards including an Indian team in future events as sports play a key role in improving relations and strengthening the bond of friendship with Sikh brothers.
An exciting Kabaddi match was held between Bandehsha Royal Belgium Kabaddi Club and Royal King Kabaddi Club, with the Royal Belgium Kabaddi Club emerging victorious. Hussain presented the winning team with the trophy, while the winning team was awarded a cash prize of Rs 600,000, and the runner-up team received Rs 400,000.
The event was also attended by Commissioner Gujranwala Division Naveed Haider Shirazi, RPO Muhammad Tayyab, Deputy Commissioner Narowal Syed Hassan Raza, DPO Narowal, General Secretary of Pakistan Kabaddi Federation Muhammad Sarwar Rana, and other officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024