PESHAWAR, Nov 01 (APP): The four-day International Peace and Sports Conference ends up here on Tuesday, with 12 delegates from as many countries including 52 Young Sports Journalists and more than 150 sports journalists from across Pakistan took part.
Acting Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jaah Ansari, former World Champion Qamar Zaman, President South Asian Cycling Union Azhar Ali Shah, international karate coach Shah Faisal, Director Sports Merged Area Pir Abdullah Shah, members of the Sports Journalists Association from Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, merged FATA were also present.
Besides journalists from Pakistan, international sports journalists and international delegates who attended the first kind of Peace and Sports Conference in Pakistan including European known sports photo journalist Anna Szilagyi (Hungary), Emaneual Fantaneanu (Romania), Eldar Ismail (Azerbaijan), Izhar Atan (Malaysia), Awad bin Mubarazk (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Nargiz Muhamdazai (European Member), Ramakrishnan (Sri Lanka), Sami Ullah (Afghanistan), Saeed Safi (Afghanistan) Miss Salma Niazi (Afghanistan), Niranjan Rajbanshi (Nepal), Amjad Aziz Malik (Pakistan), Zahid Farooq Malik (Pakistan).
Acting Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani in his speech on this occasion said that our athletes and youth have always been sending a message of peace to the world through their talent either it is Squash, Tennis, Football, Karate, Boxing, Athletics, Hockey, Cricket, Taekwondo, Wrestling, Bodybuilding, Weightlifting, Rowing, Skiing, etc. or in other sections of the society including education, arts and culture.
He said the present government has been making efforts for the promotion of sports, development of infrastructure of international standards and introducing sports scholarships and support for participating in international events.
Acting Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that the efforts made for athletes and sports in the province are not hidden from anyone.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Writers Association, Pakistan Sports Federation, and journalists are working for the welfare of sportsmen in Pakistan in general and in KPK in particular.
Speaking at the international Peace and Sports Conference organized by CTA, KP, Directorate General Sports, BoK, PSWF and SWA, KP, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan Ghani termed it a key step in highlighting the softer image of Pakistan to the rest of the world because of the visits of international sports journalists and international delegates in good number.
He said terrorism started in KP in 2005 and during 15 years we had to sacrifice 90,000 lives in this war. Finally, thanks to the many sacrifices of the Pakistan Army, Police and people, we succeeded in bringing peace to this region. He said holding such a conference by Amjaz Aziz Malik and his team was a great initiative in showing the true picture of KP and Pakistan to the rest of the world.
He said it is a historical moment that the City of Flowers Peshawar hosted foreign delegates and sports journalists from all over the world. KP has always sent a message of peace to the world through sports.
Earlier, in the award-giving ceremony of SWA, KP besides honoring foreign delegates and sports journalists of Pakistan also awarded leading international athletes including Murad (badminton), Murad Ali (Karate), Nasir Iqbal (Squash), Ayesha Ayaz (Taekwondo), Hadiya Kamal (Boxing), Fahad Khawaja (TT), Mohsin Khan (Cycling), Muhammad Altaf ( Para-Table Tennis).
In the end, both Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, Barrister Muhammad Saif, IG KP, Qamar Zaman, Syed Azhar Ali Shah and Amjad Aziz Malik distributed the awards among the winners. It was the second time that Pakistan hosted the Peace and Sports Conference for the second time after holding the same in 2017.