Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Sports and Youth Affairs Wahab Riaz inaugurated First Ramzan Sports Series 2023 by playing a shot at the grand colourful opening ceremony at Mini Hockey Stadium on Friday night.
Commissioner Lahore Ch Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Shahid Zaman, Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail, Assistant Commissioner Model Town Sahibzada Yousaf and Director Youth Affairs Syed Umair Hassan were also present at the mega opening ceremony.
Pakistan’s all-format cricket skipper Babar Azam, leading cricketers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt and Usman Qadir also attended the opening ceremony.
Besides them, Divisional Sports Officer Lahore Tariq Khanzada, Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, Deputy Director Tariq Wattoo, District Sports Officer Lahore Tanveer Shah and all Divisional Sports Officers were also present at the venue.
Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Sports and Youth Affairs Wahab Riaz, Commissioner Lahore Ch Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Shahid Zaman and Director General Sports Punjab Dr Asif Tufail were given souvenirs at the ceremony.
Over one hundred players from all divisions under the leadership of their respective DSOs took part in march past in the opening ceremony. Olympian Tauqeer Dar took oath from all the participating athletes before the commencement of competitions.
The First Ramzan Sports Series 2023 is being organised from April 7 to 11, 2023 on the directions of Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The teams from all divisions are participating in the competitions of hockey, football, kabaddi, badminton and table tennis whereas 12 teams of Lahore cricket clubs are competing in the tape ball cricket event during Ramzan Sports Series.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Sports and Youth Affairs Wahab Riaz said that the First Ramzan Sports Series 2023 is a mega event and it is being organized for the first time in the history of Punjab province. “We are quite upbeat to find several fresh talented players from the Ramzan Sports Series. A hefty amount of Rs 85,50,000 will be distributed in the shape of prize money among all prominent performers of the grand event,” he added.
Adviser to Chief Minister Punjab on Sports and Youth Affairs Wahab Riaz said that hockey is our national game and that’s why we have allocated a huge amount for the prize money of the hockey event. “On the instructions of caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, a beautiful festival of Ramazan Sports Series has been organized. The role of sports is very important in building a healthy society”.
He said that no money is being spent from the public treasury for organizing the first Ramazan Sports Series 2023. “All the events are being organized with the support of the private sector. The private sector is fully cooperating with Sports Board Punjab for the development and promotion of sports. I am especially grateful to Parkway City, Nadeem Umar of Quetta Gladiator, Al-Kabeer Town, Ghaus Garden, Umar Associates and Kingdom Vally for sponsoring the grand event”.
The captain of the national cricket team Babar Azam while talking to the media, said that the first Ramazan Sports Series is a great initiative of the government. “It is a good effort to promote sports, the restoration of hockey is very important, for which we all must work together”.
Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi said that new talent will emerge from the first Ramazan Sports Series and such events should be conducted regularly.
