LAHORE:Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood distributed cash prizes among medal winning athletes of the Pakistan triathlon team that exhibited excellent performance and won five medals in recently-held International Triathlon Games (ITG) in Thailand.
Director General (DG) Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Director Admin Syed Omair Hasan, Deputy Director Tariq Wattoo, Secretary Pakistan Modern Pentathlon Federation (PMPF) Zahoor Ahmed were also present at an impressive prize distribution ceremony held at National Hockey Stadium.
Secretary PMPF Zahoor Ahmed gave thorough briefing to Punjab Sports Minister and DG Sports Punjab about the event and the performance of Pakistan players in International Triathlon Games.
Three national athletes Labib Ahmed, Attaullah and M Afnan were given cash prizes of Rs1 lakh each for winning silver medals while Arslan and Mohsin got Rs75,000 each for winning bronze medals in the event. Head coach and manager of the national triathlon team Tariq Ahmad Rashid was given Rs50,000 for his key role in medal-winning performance in ITG.
Speaking on this occasion, sports minister congratulated Pakistan Modern Pentathlon Federation and national triathlon team on winning five medals in the International Triathlon Games. He said that the national team demonstrated wonderful performance in the running, shooting and swimming events of the International Triathlon Games.
The minister said a medal won in any sport belongs to the country and the nation and the medal winner is the true hero of the nation. “We are fully encouraging and supporting the athletes who are winning medals for the country in any sports discipline,” he added.
Malik Taimoor Masood said the game of pentathlon is getting rapid acceptance among the young generation of the province. “The medal winning performance of the national team will definitely prove to be a great inspiration for our talented youth. Now a large number of youth are taking keen interest in pentathlon games,” he added.
DG Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi said that Sports Board Punjab (SBP) is extending all possible facilities and supports for the promotion of pentathlon games in the province. “Our athletes demonstrated superb performance in the recently-held International Triathlon Games”.
He said that SBP is promoting every sport across the province as part of our mission. “All kinds of facilities are being provided to all talented and emerging male and female players as per our policy,” he maintained.
It is pertinent to note here that the national team won three silver and two bronze medals in ITG in which teams from Pakistan, Thailand, Nepal, Chinese Taipei Tand Philippines participated. Pakistan’s 9-member team participated in running, shooting and swimming events of the International Triathlon Games.