LAHORE : Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti said Punjab govt, in line with vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, is making concrete efforts for the promotion of sports culture among female players across the province; he said this while addressing a largely-attended seminar on the eve of International Women’s Day at Nishtar Park Sports Complex (NPSC) E-Library here on Wednesday.
Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti, Deputy Director Chand Perveen, dozens of international cricket, hockey, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, squash, powerlifting, swimming female players including former captain Pakistan hockey team Razia Malik, international players Faiqa Riaz, Sehrish Waheed, international kabaddi players Saneeha Ghafoor, weightlifter Twinkle Sohail and a large number of female students and officials of different colleges and universities were also present.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti was the chief guest at the seminar. Around 250 women players, officials, coaches and students attended the seminar which was organized under the banner of Sports Board Punjab to acknowledge the services of leading women players, officials and coaches belonging to different games.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti awarded commemorative shields to leading women performers in recognition of their services in their respective fields. Those who were awarded shields include members of national women cricket team allrounder Alia Riaz, Anam Amin, Olympian Shabana Akhtar, educationist and hockey official Abida Tanveer, Zareena Waqar, international hockey umpire Beenish Hayat, Director Sports Punjab University Tahira Saleem, Director Sports Kinnaird College Amaara Rubab, Saman Rasheed.
Addressing the seminar, Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti said that women’s participation in sports activities has been made compulsory in Punjab’s first-ever Sports Policy. “Pakistan women have rendered great services for the country in international sports competitions and Punjab govt will continue to encourage female players of different games in future as well”.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti said there is no dearth of sports talent among Pakistan women. “The large participation of female players in various national and international is enough to assess the growing sports passion among women community of the country”.
Talking to media on this occasion, Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti said: “Sports Board Punjab has always extended every kind of support for the promotion of sports among women and insha-Allah this practice will continue in the future as well”. He also distributed appreciation certificates among prominent women players in the ceremony.
Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti said Sports Board Punjab is organizing at least one sports championship every month to provide maximum opportunities to talented youth of the province to express their sports potential.
Deputy Director Chand Perveen on this occasion also lauded the services of Pakistan’s women sports players in different games. “Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh has already announced to hold Inter-Division Women Hockey Championship later this month. We also organized several sports events in recent past in which women players have demonstrated excellent performances,” she added.