KOHAT: The three-day under-23 regional games kicked off at the Kohat Sports Stadium here on Tuesday. Commissioner Kohat division Musarrat Hussain and provincial sports director Tariq Mahmood formally opened the games.

The commissioner, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had produced several Olympians and national level sportsmen. He said that promotion of sports would discourage extremism and would inculcate positive thinking among the youth.

He said that the KP government was the first to hold such games to polish talent of the sportsmen. He said that the local players after excelling in the regional games would be included in the provincial games and then in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy event. The function was also attended by district sports officer Sikandar Shah, regional games organiser and assistant commissioner, Kohat, Mohammad Omair and office-bearers of the local sports association.

Meanwhile, after the inaugural ceremony, district sports association’s members told mediapersons that the district government had converted the basketball ground into a car parking lot. They said that in this regard they met with the assistant commissioner who said that he was not aware of any such order and declared it illegal to allow the use of ground as car parking.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2016