Peshawar - A Sports Mela was organised in connection with International Women’s Day at Peshawar Sports Complex on Monday.
KP’s Woman Sports Director Rasheeda Ghaznavi inaugurated the event, which included archery, kabaddi, tug-of-war, athletics and other competitions.
A total of 161 players from various parts of the country participated in the mela. A student of a local college, Irum Khan, who participated the kabaddi event, said women must also participate in such activities and they could play the same role played by men in various activities, whether sports or others.
Another participant said that International Women’s Day should be celebrated but that women should observe their local customs and purdah while celebrating the day.
She said the event was meant to show the world a message of peace and prosperity and to bring forth the talent of women in various sports.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defeated defending champion Punjab in the opening match of the National Women Futsal Championship at the Peshawar Sports Complex on Monday.
President Pakistan Futsal Federation Women Wing Dr Afshan Malik, President Pakistan Futsal Federation Sardar Ali Kakar, Chairman, KP Futsal Association Wajiul Hassan, representative of the World Futsal Federation Adnan Malik, Assistant Director Nazia Zakia, Deputy Director Youth Arshad Hussain and Aziz Ullah Khan, Secretary KP Futsal Association Moeen Uddin, Women Wing Member and qualified Futsal Technical Official Sana Liaqat were also present.
The ceremony started with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem and teams’ march past on the tunes of the bands of historical Lady Griffith and Government Girls College, Charsadda.
The women teams comprising Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Police, Pakistan Railways, Success Islamabad, Capital Development Authority and the host Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pink and KP Green are taking part in the event.