Shehbaz Sharif meets Pakistan medal winners in Commonwealth, Islamic Solidarity Games
Nusrat ch-Islamabad
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced lifting of ban on departmental sports in the country.
The ban was imposed by the previous government asking all public departments, corporations and autonomous bodies to stop their funding to sports teams in 30 different disciplines. The decision had led thousands jobless from the positions of departmental sports.
PM Shehbaz Sharif after assuming the office had pledged to restore the departmental sports with an aim to promote healthy games among the youth.
He said Pakistani sportsmen, who bagged top positions in the Commonwealth Games and Islamic Solidarity Games, had made the country proud and were an inspiration for the country’s youth.
The prime minister was speaking at a cash prize distribution ceremony for the winning sportsmen of the international sport events recently held in Birmingham, UK and Turkey.
The prime minister said the entire nation was proud of the outstanding performance of the players who had proved their mettle with hard work and dedication.
He expressed confidence that the talented sportsmen would bring more laurels to the country and would continue to achieve success in their respective games.
PM Sharif said steps would be taken to hold sporting events at college and university levels to encourage the students get indulged in healthy activities.
The prime minister mentioned that Pakistan was passing through challenging times due to flash floods across the country.
He expressed grief over the death of around 800 people in last few months due to floods and said the government would leave no stone unturned to provide relief and rehabilitation to the victims.
Earlier, the prime minister gave away cash prizes to the players including Nooh Dastagir Butt, Shah Hussain, Sharif Tahir, Arshad Nadeem and several others at the special ceremony held here at the PM House.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a reception for Pakistani athletes on Thursday, who won medals at the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games and Islamic Solidarity Games.
Weightlifter Nooh Butt, gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games, and Javelin Thrower Arshad Nadeem, gold medalist at the Commonweath Games and Islamic Solidarity Games, were awarded Rs5 million each.
Altaf-ur-Rehman, bronze medalist in the para table tennis event of the Islamic Solidarity Games, was given a cash prize of Rs250,000. He is the first-ever para-athlete to secure a medal for Pakistan in the history of the games.
Shah Hussain Shah, who won a bronze medal in Judo event of the Commonwealth Games, received a cash prize of Rs1 million.
Wrestlers Inayatullah, Mohammad Inam Butt, Sharif Tahir, Ali Asad and Zaman Anwar were also given cash prizes on this occasion.
“These athletes performed really well and made the country proud,” said PM Shehbaz. “I hope that these athletes will continue to do well in the future.”
“Their achievements will also inspire younger generation in the country,” he added.
