Asad Umar wants more women to participate in sports

• Federal minister Asad Umar holds meeting with HEC sports director.
• HEC official says 12 different sporting events will be organised.
• Talent Hunt Scheme is expected to be launched on August 12.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has emphasised the importance of skill development of youth and especially encouraged women to participate in sports.

The federal minister's statement came during a meeting with Director Sports Higher Education Commission (HEC) Javed Memon, where he was briefed on sports projects under the umbrella of Kamyab Jawan Programme, a statement from the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives said Thursday.

"The Talent Hunt Youth Sports League and establishment of high-performance sports academy centres will be implemented through HEC in all the provinces, AJK, and GB," the statement said.

The minister was informed that under the Kamyab Jawan Sports League, events related 12 different sports will be organised including volleyball, wrestling, weightlifting, judo, boxing, badminton, hockey, and football, among others.

"Competitions will be organised in 28 cities all over the country. Team players aged 15-25 years selected at the area levels will compete at regional and national levels," the statement said.

Young players would be selected through trials from across the country and would be trained in the respective regional camps for the provincial and national sports league competitions, the statement said.

Establishment of sports academies 

All the sports events and activities will be organised in collaboration with Pakistan Olympics Association, National Sports Federations, and public and private higher education institutions. The Talent Hunt Scheme is expected to be launched on August 12 — on Youth International Day.

"The establishment of academies was also discussed in detail with the minister and it was decided that the academies shall be established in the proximity of the sports-specific talent hubs in the country," it said.

"Asad Umar directed to finalise the modalities and implementation of the two projects on fast track and status report shall be submitted within a month," it added.

'Time to reverse decades-old neglect of sports'

Following the meeting, the minister said he had reviewed two new Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects for sports under the Kamyab Jawan Programme.

"A talent hunt scheme and a scheme to develop sports academies/high performance centers. Both will be done [through] HEC and in all federating units of the country," he said in a tweet.

"Time to reverse the decades-old neglect of sports."