As part of the 35th National Games, the Olympic Torch reached the Central Police Office Lahore today, where it was given an enthusiastic welcome. At a ceremony held at the Olympic House, Chief Sports Officer of the Pakistan Police Sports Board DIG Athar Ismail received the Olympic Torch from Secretary General of the Pakistan Olympic Association Khalid Mahmood. Later, DIG Athar Ismail handed over the Olympic Torch to players of tug-of-war, basketball, badminton, and table tennis, who formally commenced the National Games torch rally.
More than 250 Punjab Police athletes accompanied the Olympic Torch in a rally that passed through Regal Chowk, Lahore High Court, GPO Chowk, Anarkali, and Punjab Public Library, culminating at the Central Police Office. Upon arrival at the CPO, the police band played bugle and national songs, while a mounted police contingent took charge of leading the rally at the gate. Police national footballer Mureed Gujar handed over the Olympic Torch to IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar at the Central Police Office.
At the ceremony held in the Central Police Office, Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem, Secretary General of the Pakistan Olympic Association Khalid Mahmood, Treasurer of the Pakistan Olympic Association Ahmer Malik, Olympians Shahbaz Senior, Qasim Khan, and Khalid Hameed, and President of the Pakistan Railways Sports Board Hafeezullah participated as special guests. In addition, Additional IGs Muhammad Kamran Khan and Humayun Bashir Tarar, DIG Establishment-I Suleman Sultan Rana, SSPs, team patrons, coaches, managers, and captains were also present.
IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar handed over the Olympic Torch to the head of the Pakistan Railways Sports Board, Hafeezullah. On this occasion, the IG Punjab said that 573 Punjab Police athletes are participating in the 35th National Games being held in Karachi. Expressing his best wishes for the athletes participating in the National Games, the IG Punjab said that Punjab Police athletes have performed excellently in national and international competitions over the past two years, winning 12 gold, 19 silver, and 52 bronze medals and bringing honour to the department.
He further said that comprehensive measures are being taken for the encouragement and patronage of police athletes. Giving details, the spokesperson for Punjab Police said that police athletes will take part in kabaddi, archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, bodybuilding, and several other competitions, while police players will also participate in judo, karate, rowing, shooting, taekwondo, tug-of-war, wrestling, wushu, and weightlifting events.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, President of the All Pakistan Police Sports Board IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar presented souvenirs on behalf of the Pakistan Police Sports Board to Olympian Arshad Nadeem, Secretary of the Olympic Association Khalid Mahmood, Olympian Shahbaz Senior, Qasim Khan, and Treasurer of the Pakistan Olympic Association Ahmer Malik.