GUJRAT: The much-touted and eagerly awaited mega sports event of the University of Gujrat − the UoG Sports Gala-2023 − came to a thumping finale here at Hafiz Hayat Campus.
Thousands of students from different departments at Hafiz Hayat Campus, the city campuses and those at the sub-campus at Mandi Bahauddin had been vying for their share of honour in the arena of different categories of sports competitions that had been going on since January 27 at the main campus.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Shabbar Atiq gave away trophies and medals to the winners in different categories of team and individual contests at grand prize distribution ceremony. He lauded the students for their overwhelming participation in the mega event and thanked the UoG Sports Board for the successful organization of the gala sports.
Earlier, upon arrival of the vice chancellor at the closing ceremony, all the teams presented a march-past before amalgamating into the platoons in the large playground.
The UoG playgrounds wore a colourful festive look for the past two weeks with a flurry of matches in cricket, badminton, table-tennis, chess, tug-of-war, snooker, athletics, long jump and short and long distance races.
The cricket match played between VC XI and the Registrar XI, which was won by the Vice Chancellor XI, turned into a real crowd puller. Dr Shabbar Atiq highlighted the role of healthy competition in the process of character-building of students, saying that “sports take centre stage in the cultural and social life of universities.”
Director Media Sheikh Abdul Rashid said that students practically get to know the essence of unity and the taste of courage needed to accept defeat. Sports Officer Nasira Parveen said that as many as 1,350 players and 5,560 athletes participated in the Sports Gala.
A minute’s silence was observed in a show of solidarity with the quake-hit Turkey, victims in Peshawar tragedy and those perished in the struggle for freedom in the Indian occupied territories of Kashmir.
Pro VC Prof. Dr Muhammad Mushahid Anwar, Registrar Muhammad Raees Ashraf, deans, directors, chairpersons, teachers were among the guests of honour.
