Bicycles handed over to FATA team

The Directorate of Sports, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Thursday handed over racing bicycles to five-member team that will represent FATA in the upcoming 58th National Cycling Championship starting from September 25. 

Muhammad Abid Majeed, Secretary Administration and Coordination, FATA, was the chief guest who handed over five racing bicycles among the players. The Championship will start at Lahore from September 25-28. The players included Rashid Minhas, Waleed, Qaiser Khan, Riaz Ahmad and Sajad Ahmad. 

Speaking on the occasion, Abid Majeed said FATA is full of talent and the youngster hailing from different tribal agencies have shown their potential in different games. 

However, he said due to lack of infrastructure, proper coaching and other facilities, the talent was wasted. He said the FATA Secretariat has chalked out a plan to identify the talent in tribal areas and provide them best possible facilities so that they could participate and perform well at national and international events. 

Abid Majeed said initiatives have already been taken to provide sports facilities in all the agencies’ headquarters. “The FATA Secretariat has planned to construct a fully equipped international standard sports complex where facilities for all the games would be provided. The complex, he said, will also have the facility of a separate hostel for both male and female players. 

He said that the accommodation facility would help provide training to players for longer time. “We have sent a summary to the Governor and hopefully it would be approved,” he remarked.

He said that cash awards would be given to the players who will perform well in any form of game at national level. The players of FATA would also be given sports equipment and uniform so that they could perform well in the games, he remarked.

Director Sports, FATA, Faisal Jamil Shah on the occasion said the bicycles are for practice purposes and the team is getting training under the supervision of its coach. 

The team, he said, will leave for Lahore on September 24. He said the directorate would soon distribute equipment to players of bodybuilding and weightlifting.