LAHORE: Punjab has announced a province-wide mega sports programme for schools, with competitions planned from October through December in a move aimed at encouraging students to participate in sports and identifying young athletic talent.
The decision was approved during a meeting of the Punjab School Education Department chaired by Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat. Officials briefed the minister on the department’s sports action plan and preparations for the upcoming competitions.
According to the briefing, sports committees have already been established in all 35,000 schools across Punjab. Sports equipment has also been provided to 450 schools as part of efforts to improve facilities and give students greater opportunities to take part in organised activities.
Under the programme, public-school students will compete at multiple levels, beginning with tehsil-level competitions before progressing to district, division and provincial stages. The structure is intended to give talented students an opportunity to advance through increasingly competitive rounds.
The education minister directed officials to set prize money of Rs500,000, Rs300,000 and Rs100,000 for the top three positions. He further instructed the department to allocate separate prize funds for boys and girls participating in the competitions.
The initiative is expected to cover a range of sporting activities and provide students with a platform to demonstrate their abilities beyond the classroom.
Rana Sikandar Hayat said students who demonstrate exceptional talent should not be left without opportunities after school competitions. He directed the department to help promising athletes access opportunities at the international level and provide them with comprehensive support.
The government’s focus on school-level competitions comes amid efforts to promote physical activity among young people and strengthen the sporting culture in educational institutions.
Officials will now be required to coordinate competitions across thousands of schools and ensure that events are conducted at the tehsil, district, division and provincial levels.
The programme could also serve as an important talent-identification exercise. Students who perform strongly at successive stages may receive greater exposure to coaches, competitions and development opportunities.
With sports committees already established across Punjab’s schools, authorities are preparing to move into the implementation phase before the October start.
For thousands of students, the three-month programme could offer more than medals and prize money. It may provide a pathway from school grounds to higher-level competition — and potentially the international sporting stage.
