PESHAWAR: Two special athletes on wheel chairs national archer Shahnaz and table tennis player Zainab unveiled the logo and trophy of the third Under-23 Games here at the Nishtar Hall on Wednesday.

Both athletes carried a banner which read: To educate every sportsperson.

Alongside the logo and trophy unveiling ceremony of the 3rd edition of the Games, sports scholarship for education were also distributed of worth Rs20 million among 286 plus male and female players who won medals in the first and second editions of the games held in 2015-2016 and 2016-17.

Sports Minister KP Mehmood Khan, District Nazim Peshawar Mohammad Asim Khan, Commissioner Peshawar Shahab Ali, Secretary Sports Mohammad Tariq Khan, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Islam Zeb, Director General Sports Junaid Khan, Director Sports (female games) Rashida Ghaznavi, Chairman Sports and Culture Committee Mian Khan Afridi, member Wasim Akram, coordinator Sajid Khan Afridi, Mohammad Nadeem, social worker Dr Siddique Patni, District Sports Officers Jamshed Baloch (Peshawar), Zakirullah (Nowshera), Tehsinullah (Charsadda), AD Youth Azizullah Khan, Abdur Rahim Khan, international athlete Mohammad Shah, international handball player Samiullah Marwat, national and international players and large number of spectators were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Asim Khan urged upon the youth to take active part in sports along with their education which will help create a healthy nation.

He said steps have been taken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to involve youth in sports.

Compared to 8,000 athletics who competed in the first two editions, this time a record 11,500 athletes will be competing in 26 male and 17 female disciplines.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2018