PESHAWAR, Dec 5: World’s famous Japanese wrestler Mohammad Hussain Inoki and his team entertained spectators with a fine display of free-style wrestling here at Qayyum Sports Complex on Wednesday.

The one-day ‘Inoki’s Wrestling for Peace Festival’ was organised by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Department. Provincial Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain, sports minister Syed Aqil Shah and a large number of spectators warmly welcomed the Inoki-led wrestlers.

The guests were decorated with traditional Chitrali caps and shawls. Khattak dance, Mehsud dance, horse dance, paragliding and traditional games such as “peto-garam, guli danda” and kabbadi events were also arranged on the occasion.

The foreign guests were welcomed with a big applause and by flying pigeons in the air. The sports minister thanked Mr Inoki and his team for visiting Peshawar and conveying a message of peace to the whole world.

Speaking at the ceremony as chief guest, the information minister said that holding of ‘Inoki’s Wrestling for Peace Festival’ and four other national events in Peshawar had proved that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could hold national level games and the dwellers of this land were peace-loving citizens of Pakistan, who hated militancy.

Announcing formal launching of the wrestling festival, Mr Hussain said that through sports and other tourism-related activities in the province, they wanted to convey the message of peace to the whole world. He said that people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were peace-loving citizens and militancy had been imposed on them.

“We have given sacrifices of lives for peace and would also give any sacrifice for peace in future,” he said. Mr Hussain praised the sports minister for holding this international event in Peshawar.

The information minister thanked wrestler Inoki for bringing a team of wrestlers to Peshawar and providing moments of pleasure to the people of this war-hit province. He said that people and government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would always welcome holding of such national and international events in Peshawar.

He vowed that the fight against militancy would be taken to its logical end and they would never bow to militants.

Mr Hussain said that all-out efforts would be made for successful holding of Bacha Khan International Wrestling for Peace Championship in Peshawar from Dec 8. He said that teams from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan would also participate in the championship.