Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: The Directorate of Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa honoured national and international sports heroes hailing from Landikotal and awarded them shields on Thursday.
A ceremony was arranged in Landikotal Jirga Hall where a large number of former and current crickets, footballers and sports coaching academies players participated.
Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain(R)Khalid Mehmood was the chief guest.
Tehsil Chairman Haji Shah Khalid, assistant commissioner Irshad Mohmand, tehsildar Dawood Afridi, former test cricketer Riaz Afridi and sport department officials also attended the award ceremony.
The ceremony, themed “Sport Heros” was aimed to bring awareness and motivation among youth to avoid being misused in unlawful activities and crimes.
Speaking on the occasion DG Sports Khalid Mehmood said that they were committed to bringing change in society in a positive manner. He said sports could be used against all kinds of social evils to defeat. He said as head of the sports directorate he would play the role to provide the best possible assistance to the sportsmen. He said hujra( male guests’ houses) and mosques played an essential role in establishing a healthy society. He directed the concerned department officials to work with sports academies in Ladikotal and provide every possible facility to sports lovers. He said as a political agent he had organised several sports activities a decade ago in Tirah Valley where militancy was at its peak in those days. He promised the disabled sports persons that his directorate would provide them with sports equipment especially wheelchairs soon.
Khalid Mehmood said his department would take up the guanine sports issues with sisters’ departments to resolve it as much they could.
Khalid Mehmood asked the former Pakistani test cricketer Riaz Afridi to help cricket academies in Landikotal. He said international-level coaches would soon be hired to train players at the local level. He said the sports directorate of Peshawar would also establish sports grounds in Loey and Kam Shalmans in the coming future.
Captain(R)Khalid Mehmood said they want a peaceful and strong Pakistan. He said youth must be engaged in social and sports activities to avoid being in the hands of social evils.
He said the tribal had a rich culture and sport-loving citizens who excelled in every field of life.
Khalid Mehmood said several sports legends including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Shinwari, and Tufail Shinwari, disabled Pakistan cricket team player Asad Khan and emerged from the soil of Landikotal.
He said Tufail Shinwari recently participated as Pakistan’s street children’s captain in the International football tournament held in Norway.
He said they wanted to flourish sports in Landikotal and portray Pakistan’s soft image at the world level.
Pakistan test cricketer Riaz Afridi, Khyber Sports Association president Mirajuddin and Malik Abdur Razaq Zakhakhel said that despite lacking facilities they produced sports stars in every game. Mirajuddin Shinwari said the Khyber Sports Association working for sports for the past 42 years.
In the end, DG Sports Khalid Mehmood handed over sports heroes awards to Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Shinwari, Tufail Shinwari and other football and cricketers heroes hailing from Landikotal.
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