Punjab government has decided to revive sports activities across educational institutions, with mega sports events planned from October to December for students.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of the Punjab Education Department chaired by Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat. Chairpersons of all educational boards and chief executive officers also attended the meeting, where officials briefed the committee on the province’s Sports Action Plan.
Under the plan, mega sports events will be organised across all schools in Punjab from October to December. Officials said sports committees have already been established in all 35,000 schools across the province, while sports equipment has so far been provided to 450 schools.
Mega sports events from October
According to the Punjab education minister, competitions among public schools will be held at tehsil, district, divisional and provincial levels starting in October.
The final event will be held in December and will be hosted by the Lahore Board.
Cash prizes for outstanding students
Rana Sikandar Hayat has directed officials to increase cash prizes for students who perform exceptionally well in the competitions.
The prizes will include Rs500,000, Rs300,000 and Rs100,000 for top performers. Separate prize categories will be established for different groups of students, with separate awards for male and female participants.
Focus on grassroots sports talent
The provincial government has also pledged to identify and develop sporting talent at the grassroots level. Students who demonstrate exceptional abilities will be provided opportunities and support to compete at national and international levels.
Rana Sikandar Hayat said schools had historically served as nurseries for sports and produced some of Pakistan’s finest athletes. He added that restoring sports activities would also help increase students’ interest and engagement in school life.
The education minister directed officials to ensure that there was no compromise on the quality of sports kits and stressed that educational boards must continue organising sporting activities as part of their mandate.
He further directed that private schools be included in the sports revival programme from next year, while co-curricular activities in schools would also be restored soon.
Three-year policy for sports and co-curricular activities
The Punjab education minister also directed the department to prepare a three-year policy aimed at promoting sports and co-curricular activities in educational institutions.
The development comes days after Rana Sikandar Hayat announced plans to establish six new Schools of Eminence and two Danish Schools in Punjab.
Read more: Good news for students as first batch of laptops arrives in Punjab
