Peshawar: – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Under-21 Games will commence on January 20 in Peshawar, with more than 5,000 athletes and officials expected to participate.
Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tashfeen Haider, stated this while speaking to the media at the Peshawar Sports Complex on Thursday. He said competitions will be held in 35 men’s and 18 women’s sports disciplines. Director Sports Operations Jamshed Baloch, Project Director Arbab Faiz, Chief Coach Shafqatullah, and Administrator Yousaf Afridi were also present on the occasion.
According to the DG Sports, the opening ceremony will be held at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, where Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi will inaugurate the event. He added that, on the directives of Advisor to the Chief Minister for Sports Taj Muhammad Tarand and under the supervision of Secretary Sports Muhammad Asif, trials for all sports were completed at the regional level.
He further informed that in team events, the winning teams will receive a cash prize of Rs 100,000, while runner-up teams will be awarded Rs 50,000. Special competitions for persons with disabilities, including wheelchair cricket and boccia, will also be organized.
The DG Sports said that all arrangements for the games have been finalized and that athletes will be provided daily allowances and sports kits in a timely manner. Men’s competitions will be held at the Peshawar Sports Complex, Hayatabad Sports Complex, Kohat Sports Complex, and Mardan Sports Complex. Women’s competitions will take place at Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar, Peshawar Board Ground, and Hayatabad Sports Complex.
Men’s sports in the Under-21 Games include badminton, table tennis, squash, athletics, volleyball, karate, football, gymnastics, basketball, boxing, taekwondo, hockey, judo, handball, wushu, archery, jujitsu, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, snooker, futsal, kickboxing, bodybuilding, kabaddi, Muay Thai, baseball, tug of war, rugby, and Zurkhaneh, among others. Women’s competitions will include badminton, table tennis, squash, athletics, volleyball, karate, basketball, taekwondo, judo, hockey, netball, cricket, archery, handball, jujitsu, futsal, throwball, and softball.
Director Sports Operations Jamshed Baloch said that participants will be provided accommodation, travel and daily allowances, uniforms, shoes, and necessary equipment. He added that, alongside the Under-21 Games, several other sports activities and festivals will be organized across the province, including events for persons with disabilities, minorities, transgender athletes, and inter-madrassa competitions.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Under-21 Games will officially begin on January 20 in Peshawar.
