Staff Report
PESHAWAR: A Refreshing Recreational Opportunity for the Journalist Community
Under the supervision of the Peshawar district administration and in collaboration with the Department of Sports, the Khyber Union of Journalists, and the Sports Writers Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the three-day Media Sports Festival kicked off in a grand manner. The opening ceremony was held with dignity in Peshawar and was attended by representatives from various institutions, members of the journalist community, and officials from the Sports Department.
Prominent attendees at the ceremony included Director General of Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tashfeen Haider, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Rao Hashim Azeem, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Finance) Asghar Surani, President of Peshawar Press Club M. Riaz, General Secretary Tayyab Usman, DSO Mishal Malik, RSO Kashif Farhan, President of Khyber Union of Journalists Kashifuddin Syed, former President Nasir Hussain, General Secretary Irshad Ali, senior journalists Fareedullah and Zia-ul-Haq, and President of the Sports Writers Association and Chairman of the Sports Committee Asim Shiraz.
In their speeches, DG Sports Tashfeen Haider and ADC (General) Rao Hashim Azeem paid tribute to the services of journalists, stating that the journalists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have performed their professional duties with great courage and bravery during the war against terrorism. They emphasized that organizing recreational activities for journalists in today’s suffocating environment is a commendable initiative, and the efforts of the Khyber Union of Journalists are highly praiseworthy. The officials reaffirmed that the journalist community is among the government’s priorities, and the spirit of cooperation with them will continue in the future.
President of the Khyber Union of Journalists, Kashifuddin Syed, thanked the honorable guests during his speech, stating that the purpose of the Media Sports Festival is to provide journalists with recreational opportunities so they can engage in healthy activities apart from their professional duties. He informed that competitions in seven different sports are being held during the festival, including badminton, futsal, swimming, musical chairs, throwball, tug-of-war, and archery for women. More than 200 journalists are participating in the event, which will continue for three days.
Day One Results:
In tug-of-war, PPC Green, led by Yasir Ali, defeated KHJU Red 2-0 to win the championship title.
In musical chairs, Muhammad Hasan secured first place, and Sohail Rana came second.
In women’s archery, Shaista Tasleem won the gold medal, and Mehwish took silver.
In the futsal match, SWA Green defeated KHJU White.
In throwball, KHJU Green beat PPC Red to secure a spot in the final.
The Media Sports Festival is not only a recreational opportunity for Peshawar’s journalists but also plays a vital role in strengthening mutual relationships within the journalist community.
