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LAHORE (Oct 25, 2022): Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Taimoor Masood announced the inauguration of 73rd edition of Punjab Games at a colourful grand opening ceremony at National Hockey Stadium on Monday night.
It may be noted here that Sports Board Punjab (SBP) is organising the 73rd edition of Punjab Games with the collaboration of Punjab Olympic Association at various venues in the city from Oct 24 to 27, 2019.
Vice-Chairman SBP Rao Zahid Qayyum, Secretary Sports Punjab Ehsan Bhutta, former Secretary Sports Asadullah Faiz, Commissioner and President Punjab Olympic Association Aamir Jan, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Bank of Punjab President Zafar Masud, Secretary POA Khalid Mehmood, Director Admin Syed Umair Hassan, Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, CCPO Lahore Ghulam Mehmood Dogar, AC Model Town Sonia Sadaf, Secretary General Punjab Olympic Association Idris Haider Khawaja, Deputy Director Tariq Wattoo, Chief Consultant SBP Hafeez Bhatti, Assistant Director Zahoor Ahmed, Assistant Director Youth Affairs Nazish Noor were also present at the grand inaugural ceremony.
Several sports stalwarts such as Olympic javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, Olympian Kh Junaid, Olympian Shabana Akhtar and boxing champion Usman Wazeer were also present at the gigantic opening ceremony.
The colourful opening ceremony was also witnessed by a large number of male and female players, sports officials and office-bearers of Punjab sports associations. The National Hockey Stadium was decorated with eye-catching lights and banners. Starling fireworks also lit the Punjab Games venue to capture the attention of the large crowd.
The contingents from all ten divisions of the province took part in march past in the mega inaugural ceremony. Olympic javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem led Bahawalpur contingent in the march past. The contingents of Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan, Islamabad, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, transgender and para-athletes also took part in the mega march past.
All the participants stood in respect of the National Anthem in the Punjab Games launching ceremony. Young male and female artists and performers also presented attractive aerobics, cultural and sufi performances and melodious songs and won huge appreciation from thousands of sports enthusiasts present at the grand venue.
Olympian Kh Junaid took oath from the contingents from all ten divisions on this occasion. The Punjab Games torch was also lit by Olympic javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem on this occasion. National athletes Olympian Shabana Akhtar, Olympian Kh Junaid, sprinter Rabia Ashiq, wrestler Shareef Tahir, swimmer Mushtaq Ahmed, swimmer Bismah Khan and Olympian Arshad Nadeem also ran with the Punjab Games torch during the mega opening ceremony.