Sports Board devises a plan to regain the lost glory

Lahore: Director General Sports Punjab Usman Anwar has said that Pakistan had a respectable status in sports in ’60s and ’70 but the present day position showed an altogether different scenario. Punjab government has devised a plan to regain the lost glory in sports and we are quite upbeat to produce sporting stalwarts like Jahangir Khan and Akhtar Rasool in near future, he was addressing a seminar ‘International Day of Sports Development and Peace’ in a local hotel here on Monday night.

The seminar was organized under the auspices of International Olympic Committee and with the collaboration of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). Ijaz Ch, Federal Secretary Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), Col (retd) Mudassar Asghar, Shaukat Javed and the elite figures of sports community including Jahangir Khan, Akhtar Rasool, Manzoor ul Hassan Senior, Kh Junaid, Naveed Alam, Tariq Javed, Sh Usman, M Akram, Veena Masood and Eisha Khan attended the seminar.

DG SBP Usman Anwar said Punjab govt was making hectic efforts for the strong base of sports in the province. “We need to adopt sports in a professional manner. Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has already announced a great boost in Sports Endowment Fund from Rs 10 billion to 30 billion for next year. It will help to a great extent in the promotion of sports in the region,” he added.

He further said that nothing is impossible in the world. “The countries like Australia and New Zealand got a peak position in sports after bringing reforms in their respective systems. Pakistan can also rule in the sports world after making some useful reforms in its system,” he stressed.

Later, Ijaz Ch, Federal Secretary Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), gave shield to DG SBP Usman Anwar, Col (retd) Mudassar Asghar, Shaukat Javed, Jahangir Khan, Olympians Akhtar Rasool, Manzoor ul Hassan Senior, Kh Junaid, Naveed Alam, Tariq Javed, Sh Usman, M Akram, Veena Masood and Eisha Khan on behalf of Pakistan Olympic Association.