LAHORE: The Punjab Youth Affairs and Sports Department’s three-week Capacity Building Programme concluded at the Institute of Sports Sciences Punjab (ISSP) with a certificate distribution ceremony attended by senior officials and dignitaries. The initiative, organized in collaboration with the Health Services Academy (HSA), Islamabad, was designed to impart modern training in sports administration, coaching, and physical education to sports officers, coaches, and athletes across the province.
The closing ceremony was graced by Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Muhammad Ali and Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, who distributed certificates and shields to the participants. Other senior officials, including Director Admin Abid Shaukat, Director Sports Chand Perveen, Deputy Directors Zahoor Ahmed and Shaista Qaiser, and medical experts such as Dr Asad Abbas Shah, Dr Ijaz Asghar, Dr Junaid Sarfraz, and Dr Iftikhar, were also present.
In his address, Secretary Muhammad Ali praised the dedication of the 40 sports officers and coaches trained during the programme. “Now it is up to sports officers and coaches to implement the training they received during this high-profile course in their respective capacities,” he emphasized. He also expressed gratitude to the HSA medical officers for providing free-of-cost training and acknowledged the discipline shown by participants throughout the programme.
The Secretary announced two landmark projects aimed at transforming sports infrastructure in Punjab: The Punjab’s first Sports Medicine Clinic, a brainchild of DG Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, which will provide specialized medical support to athletes. And the Pakistan’s first University of Sports Sciences, envisioned as a breakthrough project to advance research, education, and player development nationwide.
He further highlighted that Punjab currently has 717 sports facilities across the province, which can serve as functioning labs to assess athletes’ fitness. He cited Olympian Arshad Nadeem as a role model for the younger generation, stressing that the programme’s ultimate goal is to equip coaches with modern knowledge to produce more athletes of his caliber.
Director General Muhammad Tariq Qureshi underscored the responsibility of sports officers to transfer their newly acquired knowledge to young athletes in their regions. He revealed that medical experts from HSA delivered lectures on 49 topics during the course, covering diverse aspects of sports science and athlete development. “This course will help a lot in making our athletes mentally and physically strong. Punjab Sports Department will continue to organize such informative programmes in the future as well,” he assured.
