Cash Incentive-33rd National Games Monthly scholarship to be awarded to medalists of 33rd National Games: DG Sports

By Ijaz Ahmad
PESHAWAR: Director General Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak Sunday announced monthly scholarship for the budding youngsters and medalists of the 33rd National Games besides education scholarship and cash incentive already given to talented players since 2013 by the govt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Talking to media men during the reception organized in honor of the Sindh Sports Writers Association delegation and a four members delegation of the Palestinian Sports Journalists that arrived Peshawar in connection to assess the overall preparations that have been completed for the 33rd National Games, D Asfandyar Khattak said that the govt is very keen in involving youth in healthy sports activities.
He said the govt of KP has already awarded education scholarship to the medal winners of the Under-23 Games since 2013 but now taken a step ahead to give permanent stipend on monthly basis to all those won medals in the 33rd National Games in different games to both female and male athletes.
He said it is apart from the education scholarship to the talented players in sports and the cash incentives of Rs. 100,000 for the gold medal winner, Rs. 50,000 for the silver medal winners and Rs. 30,000 for the bronze medal winners.
He said Rs. 20,000 would be given on monthly basis to all medal winners in different Games at National and International levels besides feeding them with another incentive in the shape of cash incentives to be given to the players to attain international exposure.
“We are giving cash incentives of airfare (tickets) and boarding and lodging facilities to the players proceed to attain international exposure,” Mr. Khattak informed. Mr. Khattak has said that the provincial government is setting up a fund under which monthly awards will be given to talented athletes so that they do not meet expectations of any department for their province.
Play and achieve success, is the motto behind all such steps taken by the govt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as desired by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. Mr. Khattak informed the delegation, led by Muhammad Asghar Azim, Secretary General of Sindh Sports Journalists Association, that the govt has taken the steps only to encourage the youth to come and participate in positive activities.
Amjad Aziz Malik, President of Pakistan Sports Writers Federation and President Sports Writers Association Ijaz Ahmad Khan were also present on the occasion. The monthly award to the players will be a unique initiative of its kind in the country, which will give players at the provincial level the opportunity to represent their province and instead of representing different departments, they will play for their province.
The Provincial Sports Directorate has already given cash incentives to the players and through that way the players have been encouraged a lot looking after the performance of the players of KP, he added. Responding to a question, Mr. Khattak said that all preparations for the 33rd National Games have been completed and the provincial government has given Rs. 180 million to make the games a memorable one.
He informed that Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan will officially inaugurate the Games while President of Pakistan Arif Alawi will be the guest of honor for the closing ceremony. He said that they have completed repairing work on Tartan Track on an emergency basis at the Qayyum Sports Complex.
Mr. Khattak informed that the old Tartan Track would be changed in Dec this year as Rs. 400 million have already been approved by the govt.
The athletic competition of the 33rd National Games would be held on the old Tartan Track and hopefully the athletes coming to Peshawar from all across the country would enjoy their visit while playing here.
He said that KP govt has taken foolproof security measures for the Games. He said that this time the sports have also been linked to tourism so that if the soft message from the province regarding the sport goes around the world, we want to attract the foreign tourists to tour KP and enjoyed the natural beauty of the province.
He said that the Senior Minister KP Muhammad Atif Khan is deeply involved in ensuring things so that to welcome the visiting athletes. As desired by Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan and Senior Minister KP Muhammad Atif Khan, all available resources would be utilized to give all facilities to the players.