ISLAMABAD, Feb 12: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Saturday gave away cash awards to Pakistan's SAF Games gold-medalist footballers and urged them to continue to strive for excellence and bring more laurels for the country.

He promised to provide all resources to promote the game in the country but urged the players to show results.

"We need a sense of serious commitment and dedication to achieve the desired results," he said while speaking to the team here at the Prime Minister House.

Mr Aziz underlined the need for playing with a team spirit rather than concentrating on individual performance, saying collective efforts ensure good results.

He said those nations that showed unity and worked for the collective national interests made rapid progress and development.

"We are a nuclear power and we have made progress in every field of life," he told the young players who defeated India in the SAF Games final to win a gold medal for the country.

"If we continue to work with the same zeal and commitment, we will make progress and the country will prosper," he added.

Mr Aziz said Pakistan has made a slow start in football but the country has enough talent to achieve the standard of big teams in the game.

"But to achieve this standard we need experience and training," he said.

He congratulated the team for their win in the SAF Games and asked them to prepare for the upcoming games in Saudi Arabia.

Prime Minister said his government was also working to promote national interest and put the country on road to progress.

He recalled that five years ago Pakistan was viewed as a "failed state" but added that as a result of prudent and committed policies the country was now on the road to prosperity.

The Prime Minister later gave away Rs.50,000 each to the members of the Pakistan football squad.

He also announced to increase the annual funding for the football federation from Rs.0.8 million to Rs.2 million.-APP