Inter-School Games get underway

PESHAWAR: The Inter-School Games commenced in Peshawar at the Tehmas Khan Football Stadium at Shahi Bagh on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 athletes from over 100 schools across the Peshawar district are competing in 11 different sports.

Provincial Minister for Sports, Syed Fakhar Jahan, and the Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education, Faisal Khan Tarakai, formally inaugurated the event.

The district administration has organized these games in collaboration with the Sports Department. The games include cricket, badminton, volleyball, football, athletics, kabaddi, hockey, tennis, basketball, table tennis, handball, squash, and tug-of-war, between higher and high schools.

The events will continue until November 19. The winning teams will move into inter-divisional competitions.

Provincial Minister for Sports Syed Fakhar Jahan announced that the provincial government would launch an Under-16 Talent Hunt Programme to foster new talent at the grassroots level.

Under this initiative, a provincial team will be formed in various sports to represent the region. The selected athletes will receive a monthly stipend of Rs25,000 from the government.

Syed Fakhar Jahan highlighted Khyber Pakhtun- khwa’s rich history of producing national and international athletes in sports like cricket, squash, volleyball, and hockey, contributing to Pakistan’s global reputation.