PESHAWAR, Aug 21: In an initiative to save workless and hopeless youth from falling into the hands of terrorists, the Malik Saad Memorial Sports Trust plans to establish 50 sports academies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

This initiative to defeat terrorism through sports has the support of the government and the USAID, which have provided sports kits and infrastructure to MSMST for the academies.

The violence-wracked Bajaur, Mohmand and Waziristan tribal agencies would get the academies on priority basis with a view to lure the youths towards healthy activities and save them from falling prey to militants.

Established only one-and-half-year ago in the memory of popular police officer Malik Mohammad Saad Khan, there is no looking back as the trust is spearheading sports activities aimed at inculcating the spirit of love, peace and brotherhood among the youths in the rural areas of the province as well as Fata.

On the directives of Governor Syed Masood Kausar, the trust has already established a sport academy in Khyber Agency, which proved a marked success and attracted youths towards playing cricket, volleyball, table tennis, football and other popular games in an area presently under the influence of militants.

Malik Saad was born on May 19, 1959 in Abbottabad. He served as civil engineer for a short period of time before joining Police Service of Pakistan in 1991.

He had also been a moving soul behind promotion of sports alongside performance of his duties as honest, courageous and trustworthy police officer due to which the government decided to establish sports trust named after him as it was the best way to pay commemoration to the officer, who died in a bomb blast in Peshawar in January 2007.

Setting up of sports academies in Mardan, Swabi, Peshawar, Buner, Nowshera, Dir Lower, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Haripur by the MSMT have proved a big success as players in these regions are being given free bats, volleyball nets and balls and hockey sticks.

Malik Saad also led provincial hockey team to India where it played friendly matches with Delhi team in 2004, which was a historic moment for the players of both the countries. The tour was so successful that the Delhi team also visited Peshawar next year and the hockey lovers enjoyed breath-taking matches.

Governor Syed Masood Kausar and Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti in their capacities as patron-in-chief and patron, respectively, are extending matchless support to MSMST to remember the highly revered officer through promotion of sports.

Last month, the chief minister launched the trust's website to reach to more people and invite them for playing games instead of sitting idle.

The trust is also actively pursuing educational activities by extending Safwat Ghayur and Abid Ali scholarships to talented students. Safwat Ghayur and Abid Ali, respected police officers, were also killed by terrorists.

Extending health coverage to poor population is another area where MSMST is working, but its mainstay is sports to make Saad' dream of luring the youths towards games true.