MINGORA: A skill training programme for marginalised and militancy affected Swat women completed here on Tuesday.

As many as 50 women received certificates and awards after completing the six-month training in embroidery and fashion design at a ceremony organised by Shama Vocational Centre in collaboration with Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company under the EU-Tveta support programme in KP and Fata.

Swat District Nazim Mohammad Ali Shah, who was the chief guest, said learning skills was as important as educating a woman to enable her to stand on her own feet.

He congratulated the women for successfully completing the skills training and hoped they would make use of it in practical life.

TUSDC programme manager Niaz Ali Khan said about 12,000 boys and girls were being trained under the EU-Tveta programme.

“About 2,500 girls and boys are being trained in Swat in various skills, while 1,500 have already received training and are earning respectably in communities,” he added.

PLAYERS DISAPPOINTED: Hundreds of boxing and taekwondo players on Tuesday demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to include the sports in the upcoming KP Under-23 Games.

They said both the sports produced national level players in Swat district and their exclusion would discourage young talent.

“It is strange to know that boxing has been excluded from the upcoming provincial games despite the fact that three players from Sawt have played on the national level,” Fazal Wahid, president of the district Swat boxing association, said.

Similarly, the district taekwondo association expressed surprise over the KP sports directorate’s decision of ousting the sport from the provincial games.

“Taekwondo is one of the favourite games in KP. There are dozens of clubs with about 200 players in each in Swat. We have six gold medalists at the national level and active representation in national games,” said Farman Ali, a taekwondo instructor and president of the association.

When contacted, district sport officer Saqleen Ahmad told Dawn that 15 games were approved by the provincial sports directorate for the games. “Every year there is a change in selection of sports for under-23 games,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2016