Pink Games begin amid fanfare

LAHORE: The 1st CM Punjab Pink Games, featuring around 1200 women players and officials, were on Thursday formally opened here at the Punjab Stadium at a glittering ceremony.

The ceremony was graced by the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. She also announced the 1st CM Punjab Pink Games as opened. She was flanked by Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar and secretary sports Punjab Muzaffar Khan Sial. “I have no words to describe how happy I am today,” Maryam Nawaz said while addressing the athletes.

“Such fit girls MashaAllah. It’s a big change. I will congratulate your parents who trusted their daughters,” she said. “I see a lot of potential in you. I love you from the core of my heart,” she was quick to add. “I appreciate our sports minister Khokhar. He is young and he has assembled a lot of athletes from across Punjab.

These athletes should not face any trouble,” she said. She also doubled the prize money inflating it from Rs5 million to Rs10 million. Earlier, in his welcome address the Provincial minister for sports and youth affairs Faisal Ayub Khokhar thanked Maryam for encouraging Punjab women athletes.

“According to your vision that Punjab sports should be developed today it’s first step towards achieving that goal. This event will help hunt talent which will represent Pakistan in future. We will prepare 500 players this year,” Khokhar said. In the four-day spectacle the women athletes of 20 universities are showcasing their skills in seven disciplines. The disciplines are athletics, archery, badminton, table tennis, hockey, basketball and tapeball cricket. Initially 19 varsities were set to feature.

However, a late induction of the Lahore-based Superior University inflated the tally to 20. As per information, seperate winners in each displine will be awarded trophies at the closing ceremony on May 5 at the same venue. The competitions in all disciplines are being held at the well-facilitated Nishtar Park. Sabiha Fatima, an athlete from University of Central Punjab, appreciated Maryam Nawaz to take a big initiative for the encouragement of women athletes. “It’s a huge step from Maryam Nawaz to promote women sports. Such events will help develop women sports in the province and from here good talent can be hunted for onwards national duty,” Sabiha said.