KARACHI: After a lull of almost six years and repeated postponement, the four-day 17th Sindh Games extravaganza which is dubbed as regional Olympics, got off to a spectacular start amidst fanfare at the PSB Coaching Centre here on Thursday.

Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair accompanied by the Sindh Sports Minister and Sindh Olympic Association (SOA) President Sardar Mohammad Buksh Khan Mehar and provincial Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Dr Niaz Abbasi formally inaugurated the spectacle and took salute of the competing teams and scouts who passed in front of the dais.

Around 3,000 male and female athletes and officials from Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur, Larkana and Karachi are taking part in the games. It s pertinent to mention that Shaheed Benazirabad division is making its debut in the games.

The Sindh Scouts led the march past followed by the respective contingents of the six divisions. A local athlete took the oath on behalf of the participants.

Colourful balloons were released in the air as the Governor declared the games open.

Former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui ignited the games torch after receiving it from the former squash legend Jahangir Khan.

Earlier, the torch relay started its journey from the Quaid’s mausoleum and had reached the venue of the opening ceremony well ahead and had to wait for the ceremony to begin.

Earlier, former Olympians Sameer Hussain, Qamar Ibrahim and former international Safdar Abbas received the torch one by one at the venue of the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, the Sindh Governor applauded the efforts of the Sindh Sports Minister and the secretary sports who made it happen under the dynamic leadership of sports-loving Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

He said the back-to-back PSL final and the Pakistan-West Indies T20 series have revived sporting culture in the metropolis.

The governor said the participation of over 3000 sportspersons in the Sindh Games is a good omen to involve youth in healthy activities and will go a long way in unearthing promising players.

He expressed optimism that the new generation will inspire from the legends of the yore and carry Pakistan flag aloft in the global events. He hoped that the Sindh Games will be an annual feature in the future as it provides a platform to young athletes of the province to excel.

The governor, who remained at the venue for about an hour, later witnessed a PT display by young school children who were attired in beautiful costumes.

Earlier, while welcoming the guest, the Sindh Sports Minister expressed his gratitude to the Sindh Chief Minister for his support in reviving the event after a long time. He termed the ongoing Sindh Games as one of the best and hope it will leave a good legacy.

At the outset, Dr Niaz Abbasi outlined salient features of the Sindh Games which are being held in 30 disciplines for men and 17 for women at 15 different venues of the city.

He regretted that the Sindh Games could not take place for the last six years for one reason or the other and thanked sports department, SOA, Police, law enforcement agencies and former legends among others for their support in the venture.

Disciplines:

Men: Athletics, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, judo, ju-jitsu, karate, netball, gymnastics, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, throwball, volleyball, bodybuilding, boxing, chess, cricket T20, cycling, kodi kodi, malh, sepaktakraw, shootingball, wanjwatti, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu and donkeycart race.

Women: Athletics, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, judo, ju-jitsu, karate, netball, softball, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, throwball, volleyball and boxing.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2018