Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has said that gyms and complexes will be built for wrestlers in 4 cities including Gujranwala, Lahore, and Multan. Top organizations should give jobs to athletes so that they can play without worrying about employment.
He was addressing the Pride of Punjab Sports Award and Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony at Nishtar Park Sports Complex today. Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi said that it is commendable to get gold medals in the sports sector.
The sports sector which was neglected in the past will be restored and functional. I am inviting the vice-chancellors to promote sports in private universities, he added.
The government will invite foreign and good coaches to develop the youth talent. Chief Minister Parvez Elahi said that a 25-storey complex will be built near the Gaddafi Stadium with a cost of one billion dollars. In the new complex, the Punjab government’s share will be 30 percent and the United Arab Emirates government’s share will be 70 percent.
An underground tunnel will be built for the players to come and go to the stadium. By building a modern complex, it will be easier to hold cricket matches in Lahore instead of Dubai.
He said that the government will bring a good coach for the Kabaddi players from wherever they can find.
Women’s participation in other sports besides cricket will also be encouraged. The Punjab government will not ignore the sports sector. Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi announced to give of a home to Pakistan’s first gold medalist athlete Deen Muhammad. The Chief Minister also announced to giving of a snooker table worth Rs 10 lakh to the snooker champion Ahsan Ramzan.
Earlier, Chief Minister Parvez Elahi presented the Pride of Punjab Award and Rs.20 lakh each to Arshad Nadeem, Noh Dastagir Butt, and Ahsan Ramzan.
Inam Butt, Tahir Sharif, and Zaman Anwar, who won silver medals in Commonwealth Games, were awarded the Pride of Punjab Award and 10,10 lakh rupees each.
Ali Asad was given five lakh and the Pride of Punjab award. The Chief Minister honored Akram Sahi, prominent former kabaddi player Arshad Sattar, badminton player Zareena Waqar, and late former athlete Abdul Khaliq with Lifetime Achievement Awards and gave a prize of Rs.5 lakh to each of them. The late Abdul Khaliq’s award and a cash prize were received by his son.
The CM went to the seat of Deen Muhammad, a winner of the first gold medal in the Manila Asian Games, to present a five lakh prize and a gold medal. He also announced to give of the award to female athlete Shabana Akhtar.
Speaking at the ceremony, Provincial Sports Minister Malik Taimur Masood appreciated the interest and efforts of the Chief Minister for the promotion of sports and said that on the instructions of the Chief Minister, the athletes’ stadium will be established in Mian Chanu Provincial Sports Minister Malik Taimur Masood, Provincial Information Adviser Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Chief Secretary Kamran Afzal, Secretary Sports Ali Jan, DG Punjab Sports Board, Assembly members and related officials were also present on this occasion.
