LANDIKOTAL: Directorate of sports Khyber Pakhunkhwa honored national and international sports heros hailing from Landikotal and awarded them shields on Tursday.
A ceremony was arranged in Landikotal Jirga Hall where a large number of former and current cricketer, footballers and coaching academies players participated.
Director General Sport Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain(R)Khalid Mehmood was cheif guest.
Tehsil Chairman Haji Shah Khalid, assistant commissioner Irshad Mohmand, tehsidar Dawood Afridi, former test cricketer Riaz Afridi and sport department officials also attended 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 Mehmood said that they were committed to bring change in society in a positive manner. He said sports could be used against all kind of social evils to defeat. He said as head of the sports directorate he would play role to provide best possible assistance to the sportsmen. He said hujra( male guests house) and mosques played an important role in establishing healthy society. He directed the concern departments officials to work with sport-academies in Ladikotal and provide every possible facilities to sport-lovers. He said as political agent he had organised a number of sport activities a decade ago in Tirah valley where militancy was at peak in those days. He promised the disabled sport-persons that his directorate would provide them sport equipments 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 local level. He said sports directorate 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 sport activities so that they could avoid being in the hands of social evils.
He said tribal had a rich culture and sport loving citizens who excelled in every field of life.
Khalid Mehmood said a number of sport legends including Shaheen Shah Afridi,Usman Shinwari, 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 International football tournament held in Norway.
He said they wanted to flourish sports in Landikotal and portray Pakistan’s soft image at world level.
Pakistan test cricketer Riaz Afridi, Khyber sports association president Mirajuddin and Malik Abdur Razaq Zakhakhel said that despite lacking of facilities they produced stars in every game. Mirajuddin Shinwari said Khyber sports association working for sports for the past 42 years.
At the end, DG Khalid Mehmood handed over heros awards to Shaheen Shah Afridi,Usman Shinwari,Tufail Shinwari and other football and cricketers heros hailing from Landikotal.
