PESHAWAR: The 33rd National Games commenced in Peshawar on Sunday amidst great enthusiasm and fanfare with more than 10,000 athletes taking part in 32 male and 27 female events.

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan was the chief guest on the occasion and formally inaugurated the Games. Corps Commander Peshawar Lt. Gen. Shaheen Mazhar Mehmood, Senior Minister Atif Khan, President Pakistan Olympic Association Lt. Gen (Retd) Arif Hassan, Secretary Khalid Mehmood and President KP Olympic Association Syed Aqil Shah were also present on the occasion.

Fourteen different units including Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Punjab, Pakistan Police, Sindh, Balochistan, Wapda, Railways, HEC, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and host Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are competing in the mega event.

The complete cost of holding the six-day games is estimated at around Rs 220 million and they are aimed at portraying a soft image of Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inthe rest of the world. “We are a peace loving nation and through these National Games, we are giving a message of peace and harmony to the rest of the world,” said Senior Minister Atif said in his brief talk soon after his arrival in the arena.

The games started with the recitation from Holy Quran followed by a fine naat rendition from Rumasa and Kashmala. That was followed by a march past of the participating teams participated and National Anthem as the National Games Torch that travelled almost 2480 kilometer across the country also entered into the main area.

President POA Gen (r) Arif then requested the chief guests to announce the opening of the games. International cyclist Haleema Ghayoor was the first to enter on her cycle into the main arena holding the torch which she handed over to international taekwondo player, the eight year old Ayesha. Also present there was special player Zainab, former international athlete and four times gold medalist Bahre Karam, Asad Iqbal, two times gold medalists Khalid and 1968 Olympian Qazi Salahuddin who ignited the flame.

A colourful firework demonstrations then followed and was thoroughly enjoyed by the jam-pack crowds and the players. Soon afterwards, iInternational badminton player and Pakistan No. 1 Murad Ali, hockey international Shafqatullah and international technical official Tehsinullah took oath on behalf of the players, coaches and judges.

The action went to another level when a fantastic para-jumping display by the troopers of Army Para-Military Club started. They jumped from nearly10,000 feet and brilliantly landed on their feet into the main ground of the Qayyum Sports Complex. Famous ‘Junoon’ band singer Salman rendered melodious national songs to enthrall the fans while children of the Agriculture Model School also presented a good show.

The games will continue till Nov 16 and will conclude with an elaborately planned prize distribution ceremony. International-standard facilities have been provided for holding competitions in various disciplines at Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex, Charsadda, Hayatabad Sports Complex, Peshawar Jamrud Sports Complex, Khyber District, Peshawar Sports Complex and Abbottabad Sports Complex. It is worth mentioning here that KP got the honor of holding these Games for the 7th times. Earlier KP had the honour of organising the National Games in 1958, 1974, 1982, 1990, 1998 and 2010.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2019