Talent hunt launched in football, volleyball under PMYP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) Wednesday officially launched the talent hunt initiative in football and volleyball with an aim to groom the talent to bring it to international level.

The trials for male and female players of age 15 to 25 years in the both sports would be held in five phases in each of the five regions including Federal Capital, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

HEC has been entrusted to conduct talent hunt activities to engage youth in productive sports activities. Federal Minister for Power Division Khurram Dastgir was the chief guest at the ceremony whereas Ms Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Dr Shaista Sohail, Executive Director HEC and COMSATS Rector Prof Tabassum Afzal were also present at the ceremony. Officials of the Pakistan Football Federation, Pakistan Volleyball Federation, national women team players of football and volleyball also joined the launching event. The federal government has already declared 2023 as the year of youth.

The HEC in collaboration with selected universities is executing the first of its kind project to hunt talented young players from 25 locations across the country.

Khurram while addressing the youngsters advised them by sharing lessons from the poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, asking them to be their own leaders and take hold of their own lives. He added that despite maligning the performance of state institutions, it is our responsibility to play individual role 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. Shaza Fatima Khawaja informed the participants that despite curtailed resources and financial constraints, the government was committed to invest in youth-centric initiatives. She also announced that throughout the year, PMYP will continue to conduct various events to involve youth in productive activities.

“We understand 68% of our population is of youth, which is why our emphasis is on youth development in every aspect including sports.”

She informed that the HEC has been entrusted by the government to execute Talent Hunt Sports League, which is the first of its kind project. She added that the 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.”