LAHORE: The Sports Board Punjab (SBP) has announced cash prizes for athletes who secure medals at the 35th National Games, the country’s biggest sporting gala, scheduled to be held from Dec 6 to 13 in Karachi.

A big contingent of 500 athletes and officials from Punjab is set to depart for Karachi in phases starting Thursday (tomorrow).

Addressing a press conference at the National Hockey Stadium here on Tuesday, SBP Director General Khizar Afzaal Chaudhry along with Punjab Olympic Association Executive Secretary Idrees Haider Khwaja announced cash prizes of Rs800,000, Rs500,000 and Rs300,000 for the gold, silver and bronze medal winners in team sports, respectively. Moreover, in the individual games, the winners of gold, silver and bronze medals will receive Rs500,000, Rs300,000 and Rs200,000 each, respectively, they announced.

Mr Khizar said that the Punjab’s contingent would participate in 26 different men and women disciplines of the games.

He said that almost all players, who were getting monthly stipends from the Punjab Spots Endowment Funds on their past performances, had been included in the contingent.

To a question about the chief minister’s announcement for giving e-bikes to 2,200 female athletes of the last Pink Games, but were still waiting for the delivery of their bikes, Mr Khizar said the funds had been issued by the government and now e-bikes were being imported.

Meanwhile, Mr Idris said though he was not in a position to predict how many medals would be won by Punjab, it would fare far better as compared to the last editions of the national gala held in Quetta, where Punjab remained even below Balochistan. Mr Idris said that the SBP would organise a 12-day training for the athletes before their departure.

President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardar will inaugurate the National Games in Karachi on Dec 6.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2025