Punjab govt to build 1,000 playfields in schools

Published May 14, 2026 Updated May 14, 2026 09:27am
Children are seen playing in the playground. —Reuters/File
Children are seen playing in the playground. —Reuters/File

LAHORE: One thousand playfields will be built in schools of Punjab besides awarding monthly scholarships to 1,000 talented children of inter-school competitions.

It was decided at a meeting held between Punjab Sports Minister Faisal Ayub with Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat here on Wednesday.

It was also decided that the ‘Khiltey School” meetings will be held in the first week of every month. The meeting also decided to start a grassroots talent hunt programme along with constructing sports fields in Punjab schools and monthly scholarships to talented children through inter-school competitions.

Faisal said that around 2.5 million children from Punjab would participate in different stages of the inter-school competitions. He said, “Small sports courts will be constructed where grounds are not available”. He announced that sports grounds would be developed at the union council level.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Rana Sikandar said that teaching interns would be appointed in 1,000 schools for the promotion of sports among the students. “Equal sports facilities will be provided to women and girls. Besides this, indoor sports facilities will also be ensured for female athletes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Volleyball Federation Chairman Mohammad Yaqoob had reminded the Sports Board Punjab (SBP) to build a volleyball gymnasium, a plan that had been approved two years back by the SBP. He said that in 2024, the SBP approved the plan for the volleyball gymnasium and funds had also been sanctioned, but till now the board could not find a piece of land for the gymnasium in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2026

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