Education, Youth Affairs Depts to promote sports in campuses

LAHORE : Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat and Punjab Minister Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar, in a concerted effort to promote sports culture in educational institutions, emphasised the importance of restoring sports periods and organising regular sports activities in schools.

The provincial ministers co-chaired a pivotal meeting at the National Hockey Stadium, highlighting a collaborative approach between the Education and Sports Departments. Faisal Khokhar underscored the necessity of reinstating dedicated sports periods in schools to foster a healthy lifestyle and nurture young talent. He stressed that only through consistent and structured sports activities can students achieve their full potential in various athletic disciplines.

Rana Sikandar Hayat supported this initiative, stating that the Education Department is committed to integrating sports into the academic curriculum to ensure a balanced development of students.

Secretary School Education Dr Ehtesham Anwar, DG Youth Affairs Punjab Pervez Iqbal, Additional Secretary Sports Farhan Farooq, Coordinator Sports Malik Anoosh Khokhar and delegations from both department participated in the meeting.

Sports activities in educational institutions were reviewed in the meeting and in this regard various suggestions for the promotion of sports in the province were presented.

Several important decisions were taken regarding the promotion of sports activities in educational institutions in the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that Punjab Sports Department is laying the network of sports infrastructure across the province. “Old sports complexes are being restored and new sports projects are being built in various parts of the province. We are launching new sports schemes in the areas which have been deprived of such facilities in the past. We are ready to conduct all kinds of sports events in the educational institutions,” he added.

Rana Sikandar Hayat on this occasion said that Education and Sports Departments will work together for the development of sports culture in the educational institutions. “Conducting mind games events is of great importance for enhancing the mental brilliance of our youth,” he added.

Sikandar Hayat further said that both Education and Sports Departments will share their annual sports calendars with each other. “A compact mechanism will be devised to conduct inter-school, inter-college and inter-district games in all parts of the province. The two departments will meet again after 15 days to share their progress in this regard”.