LAHORE   -   The Chief Minister of Punjab has announced the Jashan-e-Azadi 2024 Sports Festival, scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 24 across various districts of Punjab. More than 900 students from across the province will participate in eight different sports events. Women will compete in five sports, while men will participate in three. This initiative by the Higher Education Department (HEC) aims to showcase and develop the best talent in Punjab, potentially leading to future Olympic, Asian, and global medalists. Each district’s colleges will organize the events from their own budgets, fostering local engagement and support. Dr Syed Ansar Azhar, Director of Public Instruction (DPI) Colleges Punjab, emphasized the importance of promoting sports at educational institutions. “With over 2.2 million students studying across Punjab, this initiative will revive sports activities in our previously deserted grounds,” he said.Dr Ansar provided a detailed schedule for the events, saying, volleyball (men and women) will be held in Gujranwala from July 23 to 26, with 200 players and officials participating, table tennis (men and women) in Rawalpindi from July 29 to August 1, involving 162 participants, badmintonin Bahawalpur from August 3 to 7, with 72 players, boys’ and girls’ hockey in Rawalpindi from July 29 to August 1, women’s cricket, men’s hockey, and kabaddi in Lahore from august 11 to 14, featuring 360 players, men’s cricketin Sargodha from August 19 to 24.Dr Ansar highlighted that high-performing athletes will be nurtured through the establishment of sports academies across different districts in Punjab. “These academies will provide regular training, ensuring that talented athletes are not wasted,” He also addressed the need for funding to build these academies and urged the CM to allocate the necessary resources for this infrastructure.