PESHAWAR:The Sports Circle Thursday paid tribute to the outgoing Director General Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak and termed his two years and seven month tenure as head of the Sports Department as golden era for promotion of sports in the province including merged districts.
DG Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak has been transferred and asked to report to Establishment Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after serving almost 2 years and seven months in the Directorate General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and replaced by a DMG Officer, Khalid Iqbal.
During these two years and seven months, a record sporting activities organized under his supervision as head of the Sports Department, said two times SAF gold medalists and international karate coach and President Pride of Performance Khalid Noor while talking to reporter here.
Besides him, dozens of others including former players, sports organisers, sports promoters, coaches and sports journalists also paid tribute to the meritorious services rendered by Asfandyar Khan Khattak as Director General Sports KP.
His tenure would certainly be remembered as the golden era for sports promotion despite the world hit by Covid19 pandemic including Pakistan, international Taekwondo coach Muhammad Ilyas said. It is a fact that the province hosted the most prolific mega events including the 28th and 29 editions of the Games for Persons with Special Abilities-2022 and 2021, 33rd National Games, U16 Inter-Provincial Games, biggest ever mega U21 in three different Phases from UC-Tehsil, District and Regional Levels wherein a record 22000 male and female athletes participated while following the instruction of the NCOC as well.
Hosting of Inter-School Cricket Championship in which a record 500 schools from across the province took part wherein more than 4000 talented players were short-listed out of the school championship and would kept under qualified coaches so that they could be trained and coached for future, while recalling the events, Khalid Noor said.
Distribution of sports scholarship to more than 1250 medalists of all these above mentioned Games and awarding national and international sponsorship to the budding players were another task he fulfilled in a transparent manners under the leadership of the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, Ilyas Afridi said.
The biggest ever Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inter-District U21 Games held in three different phases – at Tehsil level, Regional Level and recently held Inter-District level wherein more than 22000 athletes part of the Games, Khalid Noor who also served as Pakistan Karate team coach said.
First at Union Councils and Tehsils levels six Games were held, followed by 17 more Games at Regional Level and 17 more Games at Inter-District levels wherein 35 districts including the merged district also took part, Khalid Noor added.
All players competed in hockey, table tennis, judo, karate, taekwondo, gymnastics, wushu, weightlifting, wrestling and basketball wherein such Games would follow another 7 Games for female to be starting in January wherein a total 2624 women players will participate in volleyball, netball, athletics, tug-of-war, badminton, table tennis and cricket, Khalid Noor informed.
The participation of players from all districts is a proof of the success of these Games in which the players provided all playing kits, shoes, track-suite, TA & DA, cash prizes and a sports scholarship for the medalists. The gold medal would get Rs. 10,000, silver medal would be given Rs. 8000 and Rs. 5000 for bronze medals, Secretary General Pakistan Taekwondo Federation Murtaza Bangash said.
These players competed in the field with full enthusiasm and the victory will be for KP and Pakistan. During his tenure Peshawar has become the centre of sports activities. Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also graced the occasion as guests during these Games and appreciated the department, which in a short span of time and especially in the field of sports, delivered matchless activities, he added.
Athletes are being provided facilities at their doorsteps and projects worth billions of rupees are underway across the province, international Test cricketer Kabir Khan said. Kabir Khan also coached Afghanistan and UAE, said that Pakistan cricket team used to have one or two players earlier from KP but now more than half of the team is from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the legends are coming from this province like Younis Khan, Umar Gul, Shaheen, Yasir Shah, Junaid Khan, Shahid Afridi, Sajid Khan, Ilyas Khan etc.
He said starting of the Inter-School Championship wherein more than 500 matches and short-listing of 4000 players out of the Championship by the Directorate of Sports along with KP Education Department, PCB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is vital steps for the promotion of cricket in the province.
Sports creates tolerance, discipline, fair play and many virtues and Peshawar turned into a sporting hub as players from other provinces were also part of these Games and got happiest memories to their respective areas, Kabir Khan, a former left-arm pacer, said.
“We have no shortage of talent and now the players are getting opportunities through this way. Stadiums will be constructed at the level of Union Council at a cost of Rs 3 billion and another Rs 1000 million allocated for the merged districts for developing sports infrastructure which will provide sports facilities to the players near their homes.
He also paid tribute to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a record increase of sports funds from Rs 1.2 billion to a record Rs 9.5 billion besides work continuing under Prime Minister 1000 Playground Facilities that would enable the kids to have international standard facilities.