LAHORE: (Staff Reporter) – The Punjab government has announced plans to revive sports activities in educational institutions across the province, with major competitions scheduled to take place from October to December.
A high-level meeting of the Education Department, chaired by Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat in Lahore on Tuesday, approved the organisation of mega sports events in schools across Punjab.
Competitions will be held among public schools at the tehsil, district, division and provincial levels, with the final event scheduled for December under the supervision of the Lahore Board.
Rana Sikandar Hayat directed officials to increase the prize money to Rs500,000, Rs300,000 and Rs100,000 for different positions. He also called for separate cash prizes for students in each category.
The minister emphasised that male and female students should receive separate prize allocations, saying the government was committed to identifying and nurturing sporting talent from the grassroots level.
He said promising young athletes would be provided with full support, along with opportunities to compete at national and international levels.
Recalling the important role schools once played in producing top athletes, Rana Sikandar Hayat said educational institutions had previously served as nurseries for sports talent and helped provide outstanding players to the country.
He added that restoring sporting activities would not only help students develop their abilities but also encourage greater interest in education.
The education minister also instructed officials to ensure that there was no compromise on the quality of sports kits being supplied to schools.
The meeting was informed that sports committees have already been established in all 35,000 schools across Punjab, while sports equipment has so far been provided to 450 schools.
Rana Sikandar Hayat said organising sports competitions was part of the education boards’ mandate and directed officials to ensure the programme continued without interruption.
He further announced that private schools would also be included in the provincewide sports revival initiative from next year.
The minister said the government would also restore co-curricular activities in schools soon. He directed officials to formulate a three-year policy aimed at promoting sports and co-curricular activities across educational institutions.
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