Lahore, In a display of skill and determination, the Lahore division football team clinched the Rising Punjab Games 2024 football title with a narrow 2-1 victory over a formidable Faisalabad team at Punjab Stadium. Meanwhile, the Rising Punjab Games Badminton Championship saw Ghazala Siddique of Sargodha and Anjum Bashir of Gujranwala winning the Women’s and Men’s Singles titles respectively at Nishtar Park Sports Complex Gymnasium Hall.
According to Sports Board Punjab, Dr. Asif Tufail, Director General of Sports Punjab, was the chief guest at the final competitions of both the football and badminton championships. He witnessed the thrilling contests and lauded the participants for their exceptional talent and sportsmanship. The event also saw the presence of Director Sports Yasmeen Akhtar, Director Youth Affairs Rana Nadeem Anjum, and other officials who distributed trophies and medals to the players.
The Rising Punjab Games, a part of Sports Board Punjab’s innovative Annual Sports Calendar Programme, marked its first sports event with these games. Dr. Tufail, in his interaction with the media, highlighted the success of the ongoing competitions, mentioning that events in hockey, volleyball, football, and badminton have already been organized. He also outlined plans for Spring and Summer Games under the Rising Punjab Games umbrella.
Dr. Tufail emphasized that the Rising Punjab Games is a significant step in SBP’s Annual Sports Calendar Programme, focusing on merit-based selection of players and emerging new talent. He assured that top-notch arrangements have been made for all the competitions.
In a systematic approach to sports development, Sports Board Punjab is organizing events under a comprehensive plan. Dr. Tufail mentioned that top performers in the Rising Punjab Games are being rewarded with monthly stipends in three categories: Diamond, Gold, and Silver.
In the football event, the winning Lahore team was awarded a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, while the runners-up, Faisalabad, received Rs 10 lakh. Similarly, in the badminton team event, the winners received a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, and the runners-up took home Rs one lakh.
The final football match saw an intense battle, with Faisalabad taking an early lead, only for Lahore to equalize and eventually secure their win with a deciding goal in the 49th minute. The badminton event was equally competitive, with Anjum Bashir making a remarkable comeback to win the Men’s Singles title and Ghazala Siddique dominating the Women’s Singles final.