KP honours sports personalities

Sports greats receive awards in three categories Legends, Champions and Emerging Talent

PESHAWAR:

Seventeen outstanding sports personalities from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were honoured on Friday at the Sports Heroes Awards 2026 ceremony held at Nishtar Hall for their remarkable services, national and international achievements and distinguished performances in the field of sports.

The awards were distributed in three categories, Legends, Champions and Emerging Talent.

In the Legends category, former world squash champion Jahangir Khan, Qamar Zaman, Syed Aqil Shah, Shiraz Muhammad, Mohibullah Khan, Naeem Akhtar and Rashida Ghaznavi received awards in recognition of their historic contributions and outstanding achievements in sports.

The Champions category honoured Test cricketer Imran Khan, Zakaria Hayat and Maimoona Baloch for their significant services to the game.

Emerging Talent awards were presented to Murad Khan, Hijab Ajmal, Syed Faisal Shah, Shahid Khan, Asifa Noor, Usman Khan and Fahad Khawaja, who were recognised as symbols of talent, success and the bright future of sports in the province.

The prestigious ceremony was attended by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Sports Advisor Dr Syed Sarfraz Ali Shah, Advisor for Information and Public Relations Samar Haroon Bilour, Secretary Sports, Secretary Youth Affairs, Director General Sports, other relevant officials, sports personalities and players.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Syed Sarfraz Ali Shah congratulated all the award winners and described the Sports Heroes Awards as an important and commendable initiative. He said the awards recognise the invaluable services of players, encourage them and help attract the younger generation towards sports. Such steps, he added, boost the morale of athletes and inspire youth to pursue success through hard work and dedication.

The advisor noted that in sports one competitor emerges victorious while the other faces defeat. However, the losing player does not lose heart; instead, he returns to the field with greater effort, preparation and resolve. This, he said, is the true spirit of sports. The lives of sportspersons teach consistency, discipline, hard work and courage, values that should also be adopted in practical life.

Dr Sarfraz Ali Shah observed that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is often portrayed in other provinces and abroad through the prism of terrorism and insecurity. In reality, the province is among the most beautiful regions of the world. Its talented players, he stressed, are presenting the real, positive and bright face of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to the world through their achievements at the national and international levels.

He paid tribute to the security forces for successfully confronting every challenge and oppression. The people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said, are talented, brave and determined, and the province’s future is bright.

The Sports Advisor once again congratulated the 17 award recipients and expressed confidence that such recognition would further motivate the youth of the province to excel in sports and continue projecting a positive image of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.