The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has taken a major step to promote sports in the country by honoring athletes and supporting national sports federations with financial rewards. In a grand ceremony held in Islamabad, 36 national sports heroes who made Pakistan proud on the international stage were awarded a total of Rs. 8.2 million in cash prizes.
In addition, Rs. 63.9 million in annual and special grants were distributed among various sports federations to support their development and operations.
The event was attended by Rana Sanaullah Khan, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Inter-Provincial Coordination, along with Federal Secretary Mohiuddin Wani and PSB Director General Mohammad Yasir Pirzada.
Top performers were recognized and praised for their achievements. Javelin throw gold medalist Arshad Nadeem received Rs. 2 million, and his coach Salman Iqbal Butt was given Rs. 600,000. Snooker champions Ahsan Ramzan, Mohammad Asif, and Naseem Akhtar received a combined Rs. 1.1 million.
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Grants were also awarded to young athletes and participants in winter sports. Among the federations, the Athletics Federation of Pakistan received Rs. 10 million, while the squash and handball federations each got Rs. 5 million. Karate and Wushu received Rs. 3 million and Rs. 1 million respectively.
Other sports such as kabaddi, rugby, badminton, taekwondo, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling also received both annual and special grants. PSB allocated Rs. 32.9 million in annual grants and Rs. 31 million in special grants—an effort described as a milestone for sports in Pakistan.
Rana Sanaullah Khan said the government is fully committed to supporting athletes and raising the standard of sports to an international level. He added that sports are not only a symbol of a healthy society but also ambassadors of national unity, development, and peace.
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