MANSEHRA: The centuries-old traditional kabaddi competitions featuring teams from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attracted a large crowd here.
“Though the contemporary generation is spending much of its precious time on social media, holding such major Kabaddi competitions is a great achievement. Such festivities should continue for years to come,” former MNA Saleh Muhammad Khan told a gathering at the New Balakot City Ground here.
People from different parts of Hazara and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa turned up in large numbers for the traditional sporting events organised in connection with Independence Day celebrations.
The spectators showed great interest in the kabaddi and weightlifting events, which, according to them, were no longer major attractions at sporting events held from time to time in Mansehra and other parts of Hazara division.
“Once, Kabaddi competitions were a major feature of Eid and other festivities, but they are no longer popular and should be revived as an integral part of our culture,” said Saleh.He added that kabaddi and weightlifting were strength sports and should be widely introduced in schools and colleges as part of physical training for young people.
“Our armed forces, led by Gen Asim Munir, thwarted the evil designs of our arch-enemy during Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, which demonstrates the importance of power and strength,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Asim Shahzad, the chief organiser of the events, said they had not expected such a large crowd to turn out for the traditional sporting events.“Spectators from across Hazara and even from other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa turned up to watch these traditional games, including Kabaddi and weightlifting,” he added.
