ISLAMABAD, Oct 03 (APP): The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has formally approved the participation of a 53-member Pakistani contingent in the 3rd Asian Youth Games, scheduled to be held in Bahrain from October 22 to 31.
The approval was granted following clearances from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is subject to the final clearance from the Ministry of Interior, said a press release.
The contingent, comprising a mix of talented athletes and experienced officials, will represent the country across eight sports disciplines: Athletics, Badminton, Ju-Jitsu, Kabaddi, Swimming, Taekwondo, Volleyball, and Wrestling. Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister Youth Programme, will lead the delegation as the Chef de Mission.
In a significant move to uphold the integrity of national sports, the PSB has strictly enforced a merit-only policy for the selection of this contingent. This policy, adopted by the Director General of PSB Yasir Pirzada, discourages self-sponsorship, a practice that had been misused in the past to allow privileged individuals to bypass the official selection criteria.
“This contingent represents the pure sporting talent of our nation,” a PSB spokesperson stated. “Under the clear directives of DG PSB we have ensured that every athlete selected has earned their place through proven skill and performance, not through privilege or personal wealth. The era of using sports as a gateway for foreign trips is over. Our focus is solely on those athletes who have the potential to bring glory to Pakistan.”
The Pakistani contingent includes- Athletics: Ghulam Murtaza, Muhammad Behram Khan, Iqra Riaz, and Muhammad Hussain Faiz Chadhar, under coach Seemi Rizvi.
Badminton: Humna Irshad (female athlete).
Ju-Jitsu: Dr. Haris Ashraf (coach), Hamad Al Baloushi, Muhammad Saqib, and Sadam Khan.
Kabaddi: Team manager Amjad Ali Sajid, coach Rahat Maqsood Ali, and 15 athletes including Gul Sher Ali, Adeel Ahmad, Hamad Ahmad, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Awais, Ali Hassan, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Mugeeb, Hisham, Shah Zaib, Usman Ali, Muhammad Ali, Syed Hamza Shah, and Muhammad Awais.
Swimming: Shanzay Tabish Bari, Raaqiah Adeel, Fatima Salman, and Daniya Bhatia (all female athletes).
Taekwondo: Head coach Seong Oh Choi, with athletes Syed M. Zohaib Qadri, Saifullah, and Kaneez Zainab.
Volleyball: Head coach Saeed Ahmed Khan Sady, team manager Naseer Ahmed, and 12 athletes including Abu Bakar Siddique, Jabran Amin Jan, Muhammad Anas, Muhammad Saud, Ajmal Junaid, Muhtad Ali Shah, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Yahya, Tayyab Khan, Khizar Hayat, Faizan Ullah, and Muhammad Talha Mehar.
Wrestling: Coach Muhammad Inam, with athletes Muhammad Abdul Rehman and Hassan Ali.