PESHAWAR, Sep 14 (APP): Men and Women Badminton Trials under Prime Minister Youth Talent Hunt Program held under the aegis of University of Swabi (UoS) and Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST) in Peshawar Region wherein large number of women and men players turned up.
Former international athlete and Coordinator Higher Education Commission for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Regions Bahre Karam, Registrar University of Swabi Asfandiyar Khan Khalil, Dr Noorzada, Director Distance Studies, Director Sports Kohat University Science and Technology (KUST) and former national athlete and level-III Athletic Coach Muhammad Wajid and gold medalist of the South Asian Games in Javelin throw and Director Sports University of Swat Altaf Hussain Shah, selectors including Muhammad Nadeem Khan, Hayat Ullah and Miss Bushra, Zubaira Butt, Miss Azra Naz, Miss Nooren Nawab, players and officials were also present.
The ceremony started with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the National Anthem and March Past of all the participating girls and boys players from Peshawar, Charsadda, Khyber, Mohmand, and Sub-Division Peshawar.
Both Bahre Karam and Asfandiyar Khan Khalil formally inaugurated the day-long trials wherein a total of 121 boys and 61 females took part. Muhammad Nadeem Khan said that they held Men trials at the international standard indoor hall of the Hayatabad Sports Complex.
Altaf Hussain Shah disclosed that the University of Swat is holding Men Badminton trials while KUST is holding the Women’s Badminton trials in all five regions including Mardan, Swat, Bannu, Peshawar, Hazara and Dera Ismail Khan on different dates given by the Directorate General Sports Higher Education Commission, Islamabad.
He said that the Vice Chancellor University of Swabi Prof. Dr. Nasir Jamal also extended valuable support to him to facilitate the players participating in the trials. He said in the first phase they conducted open trials in all five regions across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and players from 15-year-old to 25-year-old are eligible to take part.
He said all arrangements had been made well in time and hopefully good talented players would come up to represent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the National League soon after the provincial league.
Altaf Hussain said that they have started the trials from August 31 from Mardan, followed by Swat on September 4-5, trials at Hazara, Abbottabad Committee Hall on September 11, followed by Hayatabad Sports Complex, Peshawar. Soon after such trials, they would visit Bannu Sports Complex, Bannu on September 20, 2023.
When contacted Director Sports KUST and former national athlete Muhammad Wajid told media men that they had been given the task of holding Women Badminton Trials in all five Regions for which all arrangements have been made.
He said the trials process with different dates after Mardan trials on September 7-8, 2023 in the Indoor Hall of the Makan Bagh, Mingora, Swat, in Hazara Region, which has been divided into two phases – one on September 11 at Kalabat Township Hall, Haripur and in second phase trials the trials was held on September 12 at Hazara University, Mansehra.
He said, soon after the trials at Hayatabad Sports Complex, Peshawar, the trials in Bannu were divided into two phases – one at Kohat Sports Complex, Gulshanabad Chowk, KDA, Kohat on September 21 and one at Bannu Sports Complex on September 22.
Muhammad Wajid said that Vice Chancellor KUST Professor Dr Sardar Khan is fully supporting the process and directed him to ensure all facilities to the women players in five different regions.
The open trials, he said, are being purely organized on merit and the selection committee nominated by HEC thoroughly short-lists the players before monitoring their performances in the trials.
He said they are holding women trials in collaboration with HEC, Islamabad wherein colourful opening ceremonies were held at Sports Complex BISE, Swat and Hazara, followed by trials at Peshawar, Kohat and Bannu.
