LAHORE: Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Chairman and WAPDA Sports Board (WSB) Patron-in-Chief Lt Gen (r) Muzammil Hussain on Monday had a meeting with the WAPDA sportspersons to felicitate them on their achievements, encourage them for their future endeavours and share his vision for promotion of sports in Pakistan. The players who met the Chairman included world flyweight boxing champion Muhammad Waseem, gold and silver medalist weightlifters Nauh Dastgir Butt and Talha Talib, gold medalist wrestlers Muhammad Inam Butt and Inayatullah, gold medalist athlete Asad Iqbal, and the players of WAPDA teams who recently won National Championships in Volleyball and Badminton. WAPDA Secretary and WSB President, Advisor, Director General and other senior officers were also present on the occasion. Addressing the sportspersons, Muzammil said that bringing improvement in sports in Pakistan with objective to win gold medal in Olympics was WAPDA’s target. “The WSB will make all out efforts to minimize the problems faced by sports fraternity and allocate more resources for welfare of the players involving better pays and remunerations,” he added. Emphasizing upon significance of sports, the Chairman opined that sports alone can be the catalyst and the tool to overcome the national issues ranging from terrorism, illiteracy to fragile economy and can be a source of national harmony, and positive results can be attained with focus on sports. Later, the Chairman gave away cash prizes of Rs.200,000 to each of six WAPDA international players, Rs.500,000 to volleyball team, Rs.500,000 to men’s badminton team and Rs.500,000 to women’s badminton team. He also announced that WAPADA volleyball team, being national champions, would be sent to Myanmar to participate in Asian Club Volleyball Championship for exposure and competition. It is pertinent to mention that WAPDA has been patronizing sports in Pakistan for more than five decades. WAPDA is the biggest employer of sportspersons in Pakistan, as more than 2200 players and sport officials are associated with various units of WAPDA Sports Board across the country. Published in Daily Times, January 17th 2018.