Indian Punjab Sports delegation walked into Lahore for 3 days

Lahore: A two-member Indian Punjab Sports delegation comprising Paran Jeet Singh and Shiv Dular Dhillon walked across the Wahga border into Lahore on a three-day visit to review the arrangements of the Punjab International Sports Festival 2012.

Director General Sports Board and Youth Affairs, Usman Anwar welcomed the guests from India and also presented them bouquet. Around four Indian Punjab teams will be taking part in the international edition of the Punjab Youth Festival and to evaluate the facilities, Secretary Sports Indian Punjab Paran Jeet Singh and Director Sports Shiv Dular Dhillon reached here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Paran Jeet said that Sports is a proper way to improve relations between the two countries. He said “the purpose of visiting Lahore is that around 47-member Indian Punjab contingent is coming to take part in the festival and during our three-day stay, we would be assessing the facilities and other arrangements here”. He said that the Indian Punjab contingent will arrive in Lahore in first week of November to take part in hockey, kabaddi, wrestling and tug of war events. “After evaluating the facilities and visiting the venues of the events, we will be filing our report,” he maintained. Talking about festival, he said he has heard a lot about the Punjab Youth Festival. “We believe such an activity should be held between the two countries. It will expand relations and bring people of the two countries close. In fact sports brings message of peace, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Director General Sports Board and Youth Affairs, said that it’s not only the Indians but several other countries have shown their interest of participation in the festival. “We feel that sports play a vital role in the development of peace and bring the nations together. It’s a heartening sign that a delegation of sports officials is here to make way for their players’ visit to Lahore and their participation in the Punjab International Sports Festival would open up new horizons of peace and friendship between the two countries,” he added.

Later, Olympian Tauqeer Dar and Danish Kaleem welcomed and entertained Indian guests.