ISLAMABAD - Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) newly-elected senior vice president Malik M Naveed promised to provide more jobs to disabled sports persons in the ICCI, FPCCI and other institutions to fulfill the dream of late leader Munawaar Mughal.
Talking to The Nation, Naveed, who is also former director of Pakistan Cricket Association for Physically Handicapped (PCAPH), said: “I openly admit that for the past two years, due to one or another reason, the ICCI could not pay same attention towards well-being of the handicapped sportsmen, but now, our president Amir Waheed, vice president Mirza Nisar and the entire team is ready to serve disabled persons again. “It is for the very first time that chamber has three personalities at the highest offices and it will going to help disabled persons to a great deal. We will provide more jobs to the players. We will also conduct grand annual cricket gala between chairman and President XI teams,” he added.
Lauding the efforts of Rawalpindi Islamabad Sports Journalists Association (RISJA) for promotion of sports, Naveed said: “RISJA always stands shoulder-to-shoulder with trader community in promoting sports and it is because of them, we were able to conduct so many different sports events for the handicapped persons, arranged the PCAPH international tours, invited international teams to Pakistan. We also invited medal winning disabled athletes and honoured them in the best possible manner.”
Revealing the future plans, Naveed said: "We will conduct squash, badminton, swimming, tennis, snooker and table tennis events for the handicapped persons and provide them with respectable way of earning bread and butter for their families. We have also devised a comprehensive plan for the promotion of disabled sports at Rawalpindi and Islamabad level first and then gradually, with the help of FPCCI, we will spread it to all corners of the country. We believe that the handicapped persons are more able than common people. We will start monthly stipends for the deserving disabled athletes, to be recommended by RISJA. We will also arrange jobs for them at various business houses.
“Our members are willing to contribute towards society and we are planning to invite Indian handicapped cricket team on December 3 to mark World Disabled Day. Last time, it was held in 2014, when our great leader Munawar Mughal was alive and promised jobs for the handicapped players and now we have been fulfilling his promise,” he added.
Naveed said: “It is right time to start work on providing jobs to the deserving disabled athletes. I know we have lot of members, who want to contribute and ready to splash out cash, so we will sit with Pakistan Disabled Sports Association (PDSA) chairman Sheikh Abdul Waheed and secretary Nasir Mehmood and devise a plan to start work on this noble cause. We will also prepare an annual calendar for conducting various events for the handicapped players.
We will also turn our attention towards female athletes and provide them platform where they may feel free and earn respectable way of earning and play major role in helping the country in winning international medals.
“The disabled person and athletes have great potential and talent but they need to be groomed and facilitated well. Our doors are always open for special athletes and they can feel free to contact us. The ICCI sports committee will be made functional next week, which will work for the betterment of athletes of twin cities. We will arrange meeting with Rawalpindi Chamber in this regard and take them onboard too, while we will start inviting medal winning disabled athletes of the twin cities at chamber again and honour them,” Naveed concluded.
MOHSIN ALI
