PESHAWAR: Educationists have advised the students to take part in sports activities so they could gain physical fitness and perform well academically.

“Sports activities are extremely important for students as they require physical exercise to stay fit mentally and get education for the development of the country,” Hafiz Farooq Ali, principal of University Public School (UPS), University of Peshawar, told the participants at an inaugural ceremony of a sports week here on Tuesday.

The students are the country‘s future and we need to take steps to prepare them to meet the challenges posed by global development in an effective manner, he added.

A sound mind was important for a healthy body, and for the very fact, we have been holding sports activities to enable the students to get education and serve the nation well, Farooq Ali maintained.

Professor Jamil Ahmed Chitrali, president of Peshawar University Teachers’ Association, urged teachers to instill sense of faith, discipline, respect and unity among the students so they could grow into useful citizens of the society.

“I ask the students to play role for creating coordination among their parents and teachers. I urge you to prevail upon your parents to coordinate with your teachers,” he said.

The participation of parents in the academic affairs lead to the effective education of their sons, Professor Chitrali said.

Javid Khan Afridi, president of UPS Alumni Association, said that old students of the school were at the forefront to help the youngsters in their quest for education as well as sports activities.

“Pakistan is an internationally recognised country in sports as hundreds of its players are known globally for their skills and talents in cricket, squash, hockey and other forms of sports,” he said.

Only academic development of students wasn’t an answer to the problems facing the country, but there was a dire need to engage them in extracurricular activities, Javid Afridi emphasised.

Sports inculcated enthusiasm, spirit and discipline among the students, he said, adding: “During the sports gala, we have organised cricket, football, badminton and other games to create sportsman spirit among the students.”

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2015