Sports Bulletin Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) along with Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan officially launched the Football and Volleyball Talent Hunt programme today at the COMSATS University Islamabad in which national soccer and volleyball female players participated with zeal and zest.
Federal Minister for Power, Khurram Dastgir was chief guest at the ceremony while Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Dr. Shaista Sohail, Executive Director, HEC and Prof. Dr. Tabassum Afzal, Rector COMSATS University Islamabad were guest of honour at this occasion. Also, Javed Ali Memon, Director/ In-charge Sports and Co-curricular Division, HEC, officials of the Pakistan Football Federation, Pakistan Volleyball Federation, women’s national team players of football and volleyball joined the event.
According to an official, the football and volleyball trials of male and female players of age 15 to 25 years would be held in five phases in each of the five regions including Federal Capital, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
On this occasion, Khurram Dastgir while addressing the youngsters advised them by sharing lessons from the poetry of Allama Mohammad Iqbal, to be their own leaders and take hold of their own lives. He maintained that despite maligning the performance of state institutions, it is our utmost responsibility to do our part wholeheartedly for the development of our country. He gave credit for conducting Football and Volleyball Talent Hunt in a systematic way to Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs.
He critically opined that everyone among us particularly youth are glued to their cell phones and social media; involving them in Sports is really an excellent job done. In the end, he encouraged youngsters to actively participate in trials to play their role in reviving Pakistan’s glorious past in sports.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja informed the participants that despite curtailed resources and financial constraints Government of Pakistan is committed to continuing investing on youth-centric initiatives. She also announced that throughout the year, PMYP will continue to conduct various events to involve youth in productive activities. Encouraging youth, she said that we understand 68% of our population is of youth, which is why our emphasis is on youth development in every aspect including sports.
Today, we all are gathered on this gracious occasion to formally Launch Football and Volleyball Talent Hunt, said Executive Director, HEC. She informed that HEC has been entrusted by the Government of Pakistan to execute Talent Hunt Sports League, which is first of its kind project. She further said that HEC has conducted 100 trials of weightlifting, wrestling and hockey (men & women); conducted 5 provincial leagues of wrestling and weightlifting each and two national leagues as well. Football and Volleyball Talent Hunt activities are part of this project, she added.
Prof. Dr. Tabassum Afzal said:
“It is indeed honour for COMSATS University to host dignitaries and young students from various universities of twin cities in the ceremony of Football & Volleyball Talent Hunt Launch. He also thanked Government of Pakistan and HEC for engaging universities in the initiative of national interest.
