Heart and soul: Sports as a labour of love

Students at GSIS exhibited their skills and passion for the game.

ISLAMABAD:

A holistic attitude towards sports entails proper focus and training instead of merely treating it as a hobby or an extra-curricular activity. Highlighting this viewpoint, Federal Minister for Sports Riaz Hussain Peerzaada announced funds for the provision of sports gear for students aiming to pursue their dreams as future sportsmen, at the Global System of Integrated Studies’ (GSIS) annual sports day on Saturday morning.

The day-long extravaganza was packed with back-to-back sports events, for which hundreds of students had been perfecting their skills.

“It is that time of the year when we have to use our physical as well as mental abilities,” said Saad Khan, a student.

A range of sports activities were queued up for the students. “It is a day of fun and great competition,” said another student Ali Akhtar.

Standing tall, Abbiha Haider and Talha Rafay proudly claimed their trophies for the Sports Icons of 2014 for their performances in football, rugby, table tennis, athletics, hand ball and volley ball matches.

Medals, trophies and certificates were distributed among players of the best team for cricket, football, rugby, handball, basketball, volleyball and athletics. Hamza Farhan of  Dragons, Talha Dogar of Sharks, Ammar Anwer of Eagles and Ahsanul Haq of Lions  were nominated as best players from the four houses.

Also on the menu was a rugby match between Pakistan Ruby team and GSIS Rugby team, which was won by the latter.

Addressing the audience at the prize distribution ceremony, GSIS Principal Quratulain Ali Rizvi emphasised the importance of sports and competition. Beamingly, she said,” GSIS students like Abiha Haider and Bilal Haider Gardezi  are shinning in national football teams and giving a good name to GSIS and Pakistan simultaneously.

Speaking at the ceremony, Peerzaada lauded the school for grooming its students into adopting sports not just as a healthy activity or an extracurricular obligation, but considering the field as a professional venture in the future.

He added that the ministry is interested in investing funds into domestic sports which would not just streamline the system, but also generate good sportsmen who would represent the country on international fields and bring home accolades.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2014.