The Prime Minister expressed gratitude towards his sports days for making him resilient in his 22-year-old political career, saying he would have conceded defeat if he had not been a sportsman.
He said that the government would give a chance to the rural youth to hone their skills in sports and derive benefit from opportunities.
The prime minister said that life is a competition, and one should not be scared of facing defeat.
"A person is defeated truly when he accepts defeat," said Imran Khan, adding that sports made one competitive in life.
He said that the talent of Pakistani youths would be recognized on the basis of sports competitions.
On the occasion, the prime minister also spelled out health benefits of sports activities.
The prime minister addressed a gathering of more than 2,940 players from across the province and formally inaugurated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Under-21 Games at the Qayyum Sports Complex Peshawar.
"Life is a series of ups and downs ... a person who regains position after falling down acquires more strength," he said, adding that he had learnt to fight at critical times during his sports days.
The Prime Minister said that the meaning of life was struggle.
Whether its studies, business or politics there was competition everywhere, he said. Before the inauguration, foolproof security arrangements were made for the Under-21 Games.