Punjab to Host Monthly Mega Sports Events: Faisal Ayub Khokhar

By Farzana Chaudhry | Lahore
LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar has announced that the Punjab Sports Department will organise mega sports events every month under a comprehensive Annual Sports Calendar, aligned with the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Addressing a crowded press conference at the National Hockey Stadium, the minister said the initiative aims to promote sports at both grassroots and professional levels across the province. The press conference was also attended by Secretary Sports Punjab Muhammad Ali, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, and Sports Board Punjab Vice-Chairman Suleman Malik.
Khokhar announced that the CM Punjab Inter-School Swimming Championship will be held on April 15–16 at the state-of-the-art Swimming Complex at Nishtar Park Sports Complex. Over 400 male and female students from various schools are expected to participate, with 80 events for girls and 30 for boys. Cash prizes worth Rs1 million, along with medals and trophies, will be awarded.
He further revealed that the CM Punjab National Marathon and Cycling Championship will take place on April 19, with over 7,000 participants registered so far. The 21-kilometre marathon will start from Liberty Chowk, while additional events will include a wheelchair race, women’s race, and family fun run. Prizes worth over Rs4 million will be distributed among winners.
Highlighting the broader calendar, the minister said various sports events will be organised monthly, including kabaddi in April, athletics in May, badminton and tug-of-war in June, hockey in July, football in August, martial arts and wrestling in September and October, volleyball and marathon in November, and cricket in December. He also announced that Pak-China Games will be held in May.
In a major development, Khokhar said a University of Sports Sciences will be established in Punjab, with initial courses already launched at the Institute of Sports Sciences Punjab (ISSP). Additionally, sports grounds will be developed in 1,000 schools under the ‘Khailtay School’ project to promote youth participation.
The minister also announced the launch of a dedicated Youth Digital Channel to showcase athlete interviews, podcasts, and expert discussions. He added that Punjab will become the first province to conduct income audits of all sports divisions and districts.
A central control room is being established to monitor sports facilities across the province via cameras, while efforts are underway to ensure safe environments, coaching programs, and dedicated facilities for female athletes.
Khokhar said the Sports Board Punjab is also planning to set up the country’s first world-class Sports Medical Center to provide rehabilitation and medical support to athletes. He added that 100 out of 650 sports facilities are being outsourced under a public-private partnership model to improve standards.
The minister concluded by stating that strict accountability measures are being introduced, including performance evaluations through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and the digitisation of systems to ensure transparency within the department.