LAHORE: University students have been inducted as members of the Sports Board Punjab Advisory Board for the first time in Pakistan’s history, Punjab Minister for Sports Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar announced on Friday, as he chaired the board’s first introductory meeting at the National Hockey Stadium.
The minister said the session “is not merely an introductory session but marked the beginning of a new era in which young people will have a direct role in shaping the future of sports in Punjab.”
Students attending from leading institutions included Bakhtawar Ibraheem of Government College, Aima Ibrar and Bilal Ahsan of UET, Ghulam Akbar and Eesha Sehar of King Edward Medical University, Rania Ameen and Hamza Rehman Abid of COMSATS, Jaweria Fatima and M Hussain of UCP, and Malik Ayan Ibrar of Al-Aleem Medical College. Arooba, Tahira Saleem, Ammar Bilal, Irfan Ali and Hasnain Khokhar also participated.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Deputy Director Zahoor Ahmed and senior officers of the Sports Department attended.
The gender-balanced composition of the student contingent is notable in a sector where women’s participation in administrative roles has historically lagged well behind participation on the field.
Khokhar said the Advisory Board has been constituted for a one-year term, during which members will submit proposals for the promotion of sports across the province.
Crucially, the minister announced that all board members would also be included in relevant committees of the Punjab Sports Department — a structural detail that distinguishes the body from purely consultative panels. Advisory boards without committee access typically produce recommendations that stall at the reporting stage.
“The university students have been included in the SBP Advisory Board so that they can present their ideas directly at the policy level,” Khokhar said, adding that the government wants sports policies developed “in accordance with the needs, interests and abilities of young people.”
The minister said that for the first time in Punjab’s history, serious efforts are under way to establish a Sports City where young people would be provided comprehensive sports facilities under one roof.
“The proposed Sports City would not only cater to sporting needs but would also include entertainment and other modern facilities for youth,” he said.
No site, budget or timeline was disclosed at the meeting.
Khokhar announced that effective measures would be taken to ensure the admission of talented athletes to universities under the sports quota system, with particular emphasis on implementation in private universities.
“Special emphasis would also be placed on ensuring implementation of the sports quota system in private universities, so that talented young athletes who excel in sports can have better access to higher education,” he said.
The private-sector focus addresses a long-standing gap. Sports quota provisions have been more consistently applied in public universities, while enforcement across the rapidly expanding private higher education sector has been uneven — a gap that has pushed some athletes to abandon competition in favour of academic admission.
Participating students presented proposals on promoting sports at universities, improving facilities, identifying and developing talent, creating opportunities in modern and emerging sports, organising university-level competitions and increasing support for young athletes.
Khokhar said the suggestions were appreciated and that viable, actionable proposals would be incorporated into the department’s policy-making and future planning.
“The youth are the future of Pakistan and their meaningful participation in decisions relating to sports is essential,” he said.
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