Int’l peace & sports conference ends, SWA, KP honor leading athletes with awards

Staff Reporter
PESHAWAR: The four days International Peace and Sports Conference with 12 delegates from as many countries of the world including 52 Young Sports Journalists and more than 150 sports journalists from across Pakistan took part.
Acting Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jaah Ansari, former World Champion Qamar Zaman, President South Asian Cycling Union Azhar Ali Shah, international karate coach Shah Faisal, Director Sports Merged Area Pir Abdullah Shah, members of the Sports Journalists Association from Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, merged FATA were also present.
Besides journalists from Pakistan, international sports journalists and international delegates who attended the first kind of Peace and Sports Conference in Pakistan including European known sports photo journalist Miss Anna Szilagyi (Hungary), Emaneual Fantaneanu (Romania), Eldar Ismail (Azerbaijan), Izhar Atan (Malaysia), Awad bin Mubarazk (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Nargiz Muhamdazai (European Member), Ramakrishnan (Sri Lanka), Sami Ullah (Afghanistan), Saeed Safi (Afghanistan) Miss Salma Niazi (Afghanistan), Niranjan Rajbanshi (Nepal), Amjad Aziz Malik (Pakistan), Zahid Farooq Malik (Pakistan).
Acting Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani in his speech on this occasion said that our athletes and youth have always been sending a message of peace to the world through their talent either it is Game of Squash, Tennis, Football, Karate, Boxing, Athletics, Hockey, Cricket, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Bodybuilding, Weightlifting, Rowing, Skiing, etc. or in other sections of the society including education, arts and culture.
He said the present government has been making efforts for the promotion of sports, development of infrastructure of international standard and introducing sports scholarship and support for participating in the international events.
Acting Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that the efforts made for athletes and sports in the province are not hidden from anyone. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Writers Association, Pakistan Sports Federation and journalists are working for the welfare of sportsmen in Pakistan in general and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular.
Speaking at the international Peace and Sports Conference organized by CTA, KP, Directorate General Sports, BoK, PSWF and SWA, KP, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan Ghani termed it a key steps in highlighting the softer image of Pakistan to the rest of the world because the visits of international sports journalists and international delegates in good number.
He said, terrorism started in KP from 2005 and during 15 years we had to sacrifice 90,000 lives in this war. Finally, thanks to the many sacrifices of the Pakistan Army, Police and people, we succeeded in bringing peace to this region. He said holding such a conference by Amjaz Aziz Malik and his team was a great initiative in showing the true picture of KP and Pakistan to the rest of the world.
He said it is an historical moment that once the City of Flower Peshawar hosted foreign delegates and sports journalists from all over the world. KP has always sent a message of peace to the world through sports.
Earlier, in the award giving ceremony of SWA, KP besides honoring foreign delegates and sports journalists of Pakistan, also awarded leading international athletes including Murad (badminton), Murad Ali (Karate), Nasir Iqbal (Squash), Ayesha Ayaz (Taekwondo), Hadiya Kamal (Boxing), Fahad Khawaja (TT), Mohsin Khan (Cycling), Muhammad Altaf ( Para-Table Tennis).