KP sanctions Rs16m for sports events for disabled

PESHAWAR: The Directorate of Sports Khyber Pakhtun-khwa Sunday sanctioned an annual grant of Rs16 million to organise sports events for special persons with disabilities.

Directorate of Sports Director General Junaid Khan said that various games for persons with disabilities would be arranged with the sanctioned amount.

He added that the directorate would hold Paralympic Games and provide special grants to sports and other associations working for players with disabilities in the province.

The sports official said that special persons were divided in three categories — blind, players on wheelchairs, and persons with standing disabilities.

Beside, arranging the events, Junaid said that Rs0.6 million were sanctioned for grant-in-aid for blind cricketers, players, wheelchairs players and players with standing disabilities.

“Funds are regularly being provided to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association.

“This time we have decided to extend the same support to the associations working for special persons as well,” he added.

He said that it was initial grant and additional funds would also be approved if required.

Junaid said that there were an estimated 3.28 million people with disabilities in the country, including 1.37 million women.

“The Pakistan blind cricket team has won Blind Cricket World Cup twice in 2002 and 2006 and runners-up to South Africa in the first Blind Cricket World Cup in 1998,” he said.

He said that Masood Jan, a blind cricketer from KP, holds the record for playing the highest individual innings in a one-day international.

“Recently we organised Special Games for persons with disabilities in Abbottabad wherein players from across Pakistan took part,” he said. He added that a comprehensive plan has been chalked out to promote sports and provide facilitate to the young and talented players.