PESHAWAR - The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries will be part of the 28th edition of the Special Games to be organised in Peshawar next year.
DG Sports KP Asfandyar Khattak said this while quoting Senior Minister for Sports, Tourism, Youth Affairs and Culture Muhammad Atif Khan as saying, while talking to media during the prize distribution ceremony of the 27th National Special Games at Kunj Football Ground Abbottabad.
He said athletes from Japan also took part for the first time and now Muhammad Atif Khan is keen to involve SAARC member countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka in the 28th edition of the Special Games to be organized in 2020 in Peshawar.
He added that like South Asian Games, a Game for the Special Athletes at SAARC level, would be organized with the aim to provide much needed international exposure to our special athletes, who have given stunning performances in Para-Olympic Games and won many medals. It is worth mentioning here that SAARC formed in December 8, 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh with its headquarter in Katmandu, Nepal with the objective is to promote regional cooperation between the members’ countries and to promote the welfare of the people of South Asian and to improve their live standard through economic growth, social progress and culture development in the region.
He said Atif Khan also directed him to distribute Rs0.5million among the position holders in both team event and individual categories besides giving approval of awarding sports scholarships on the patron of Under-23 Games.
He said as desired by the Senior Minister, the winner team was awarded Rs 20,000 cash, runner-up Rs 15000 and third position holder Rs 10,000 besides Rs 8000, 4000 and 2000 given to gold, silver and bronze medal winners in Special Games.
Earlier on the final of the 27th National Special Games, KP Sports Board team Peshawar defeated Lahore in the Standing Disability Cricket after a dramatically ended final. KP Sports Board skipper and international cricketer Adil excelled with both bat and ball, hitting a cracking 45 runs and got three wickets. He was also declared as man of the final.
In the wheel chair cricket, Multan defeated SSP by six runs. Multan setup a target of 80 runs only and restricted SSP Multan to 73 runs. Moin was declared as the best player. In the female table tennis, star player Zainab Barkat won gold medal by defeating Rabia of Peshawar 2-0. Besides winning table tennis gold, Zainab also claimed gold medal in power lifting, wheelchair race.
Chief guest Speaker KP Assembly Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, along with Station Commander Abbottabad Brig Faisal, distributed trophies, medals and cash prizes among the players. Director Operation Syed Saqlain Shah, Director Development Niamat Ullah Marwat, AD Sports Hamid Ali, Director Sports Zakir Ullah, and DSO Abbottabad Waseem Afzal, officials, players and spectators were also present there.