PWF chief demands awards for CWG medal winners

ISLAMABAD President Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF), Syed Aqil Shah, has demanded cash awards for gold medal winners of the 19th Commonwealth Games before the contingents departure for Asian Games. Speaking in a ceremony held in the honor of gold medal winners of the 19th Commonwealth Games here at Gun Club, he said that the wrestlers brought honour to the country by clinching gold medals, he asserted. Aqil said that the government should release the cash awards before the team competes in the Asian Games. Three wrestlers, Inam, Azhar and Mohammad Ali Junior, will take part in the quadrennial sports event of the region, he said. He also requested the government to give award to the coach also. The wrestling coach did well and prepared the guys for international competition. This should be the part of policy which has been adopted for players, he viewed. Later, while backing his boss, the medal winning duo Mohammad Inam Butt and Azhar Hussain, also asked government to give cash awards before Asian Games. Inam lifted gold in 84-kilogram weight category while Azhar in 55-kilogram weight category. Inam said that PSB was providing all crunch facilities in the training camp for the Asian Games. We are toiling hard in the camp to produce excellent performance in the Asian Games. We are expecting the government will distribute us cash awards before going for Asian Games, he viewed. Azhar Hussain told this scribe that the cash awards should be given well in time and this step would encourage the athletes. Secretary Sports, Aziz Ahmed Belour graced the ceremony as chief guest which was also attended by President Islamabad Olympic Association (IOA) Brig (Retd) Arif Mehmud Siddiqui, secretary PWF, Director General POA, Major (Retd) Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Asghar and other officials of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) On this occasion, Secretary Sports told the players and officials that the summary for the cash awards had already been moved to the Prime Minister. We will disburse the cash awards among the medal winnings very soon, he said.