LAKKI MARWAT: The two-day traditional games festival began in a remote Kakakhel village of the district on Thursday.
A senior archer, Haqdad Khan, along with provincial deputy director Sports (operations) Jamshed Khan Baloch and chief coach Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shafqatullah Khan inaugurated the archery competition at a ceremony.
District Sports Officer Ismail Khan Wazir, ADEO Sports Nisar Muhammad Khan, ASDEO Rustam Khan, area elders and a large number of game lovers were also present.
The aged chief guest shot an arrow with a bow into the air to formally open the traditional game of southern Lakki Marwat district. Ten archery clubs from different rural localities of the district participated in the first round of competition.
Almost all teams consisted of talented players, especially aged bowmen.
On the occasion, the officials of the sports department said that the traditional games were being held in all districts including merged areas on the special directives of the provincial government.
“Under the supervision of the director general and director of sports, the department has made full preparations for the district level competitions in the first phase,” said Jamshed.
He said that later on the games would be held at regional level and then the players of traditional games would be invited to the provincial capital Peshawar.
The provincial deputy director sports said that the computers and mobile phones had restricted our youth to the home playing video games. “There is a need to provide healthy entertainment and opportunities of physical exercise to the youths,” he added.