Promotion of sports urged to combat social evils

LANDIKOTAL: Shinwari Welfare Organisation General Secretary and Fata Squash Federation former president Asad Khan Shinwari on Wednesday emphasized the importance of sports in combating social evils and encouraging youth toward healthy activities.

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the All Pakistan Junior Squash Championship at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Hashim Khan Squash Complex in Peshawar.Shinwari Welfare Organisation Vice President Zalid Khan Shinwari, Joint Secretary Raz Muhammad Shinwari, Press Secretary Ashrafuddin Pirzada, former world squash champions Qamar Zaman and Mohibullah Khan, Group Captain Irfan Asghar, Director of the Pakistan Squash Federation Wing Commander Yasir Aziz, Assistant Director of PAF Mansoor Zaman, General Secretary of KP Squash Sajjad Khalil, Associate Secretary of KP Squash, and senior coach Munawar Zaman and others attended the ceremony.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Squash Association President Dawood Khan was the chief guest. Addressing the gathering, Asad Khan Shinwari said sports were vital for engaging youth in constructive activities as the menace of drug abuse was on the rise among young people.

He urged philanthropists to step forward and support athletes in Pakistan. Qamar Zaman said that 500 children from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were under training at his squash complex. He said that players in two categories (Under-11 and Under-17) were participating in the championship, with 28 participants from Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, and ex-FATA qualifying through earlier rounds. Teams from Wapda, army, and air force were also competing in the event, he said.

He said that Norman Khan, the runner-up of the 2024 British Junior Championship, was among the participants. Cash prizes would be awarded to those securing the top three positions, while the top 20 players would qualify for international tournaments, he added. Qamar Zaman said the top 20 players in the event would be eligible to participate in international tournaments in the coming future.