Sports Board Punjab is celebrating Independence Day with full fervor : Secretary Sports Punjab Nayyar Iqbal

Lahore : Secretary Sports Punjab Nayyar Iqbal said Sports Board Punjab is celebrating Independence Day with full fervor. We will organise 15 events in Independence Day Sports Gala.

The participating players of Sports Gala will represent national teams one day. He said this while addressing the opening ceremony of Independence Day Sports Gala at National Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.

Secretary Sports Punjab Nayyar Iqbal said the Nishtar Park swimming pool will be inaugurated in near future. “We will provide latest facilities at stadiums, grounds and gymnasiums so that people can take part in sports activities more actively,” he added.

Answering a query, Nayyar Iqbal informed that the training camps will be initiated from next year and the trainee players will be equipped with modern training.

Earlier, Fatima Jinnah XI defeated Begum Rana Liaqat Ali Khan by 5-3 in women hockey match played under the auspices of Sports Board Punjab (SBP). For the winning team, Hamra struck two while Shaneel Babar, Faiqa and Zareena contributed one goal apiece. Saba,Maham and Iram netted one goal each for the losers. Both the teams were introduced with Secretary Sports Punjab Nayyar Iqbal. Later, he distributed prizes among the players.

Sports Board Punjab organised the exhibition hockey match to launch the Independence Day celebrations.

Earlier, Pakistan Hockey Federation Secretary Shahbaz Senior inaugurated the match by hitting the ball. Director Admin Muhammad Anees Sheikh, Deputy director Mushtaq Tiwana, Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti, Deputy Director Tariq Wattoo, Assistant Directors Waqas Akbar and Rana Nadeem Anjum, Shahid Nizami, former Olympians Kh Junaid, Khalid Bashir, Saqlain Ahmed and Lahore Press Club’s former president Arshad Ansari were also present on this occasion. Both the teams also sang national anthem prior to the match.