Various sportspeople have expressed solidarity with the flood victims, and decided to hold a football match for fund-raising to join efforts in extending relief to the calamity-hit people.
Renowned sportsmen, including squash wizard Jan Sher Khan, former World Champion Qamar Zaman, hockey Olympians Rahim Khan and Mussadiq Hussain, international footballers and former skippers Pakistan football team Arshad Khan, Gohar Zaman and Basit Kamal, the country’s top badminton player Murad Ali have come together to hold various fund-raising activities for the flood affectees.
A meeting was held here on Monday with former national footballer Shahid Khan Shinwari, former Pakistan team skipper Arshad Khan and elders of the famous Nawa Khali.
Shahid Khan said that a fund-raising campaign ‘Sports Legends Relief Fund for Flood Victims’ would be launched during which the participants would go door to door and collect funds.
“We are standing by our people in this difficult time, as the floods affected more than 80 percent area of Pakistan,” he said.
Elders of the area including Khalid Bashir, Asif Zaman, Arhsad Khan, Farhan Nawaz, Ashfaq Khan, Haji Zahid Zaman, members of the Jamaat ul Dawa, representative of the Dry fruits Association, Coil Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were also present.
The meeting also decided to hold a football match in Peshawar Sports Complex next week wherein former international footballers, players of the current national football team and a team from all across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would play a fund-raiser match.
Shahid Khan said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Sports Minister Muhammad Atif, former Sports Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Senior Vice President Pakistan Olympic Association Syed Aqil Shah, Secretary Sports Tahir Khan Orakzai, Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khalid Khan, representative of the Olympic family, members of various sports associations and international players would be part the football match.
Shahid also expressed the hope that members of the provincial assembly, irrespective of their political affiliation, would also join the campaign.
He said it was open to all and the aim was to extend relief to flood victims, besides playing a role in their rehabilitation as massive downpours, flash floods had forced millions of people to leave their homes.
