Karachi:Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Arif Hasan said that POA wants to portray a soft image of Pakistan through 33rd National Games Torch Relay that has been travelling across the country ahead of the games.
“We want to show it to the world that Pakistan is a peace and sports loving nation,” Arif Hasan said on the occasion of the Torch relay reaching historic Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore on Wednesday.
Olympians Khwaja Junaid, Naved Alam, Wall City of Lahore Director Kamran Lashari, Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana POA Secretary Khalid Mehmood, Punjab Olympic Association President Amir Jan, Secretary Khwaja Idrees Haider, Torch Committee Chairman Mohammad Abid Qadri and other officials of sports associations, athletes and sports fans were also present on the occasion.
“I am very hopeful that the message of peace and brotherhood will be shown to the world from this historic place and it would help us portray a peaceful image of Pakistan to the world,” he reiterated.
He further said that the preparatory work for the national games is all going well. He thanked government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa their support. The National Games will run from October 26 to November 1 in Peshawar.
He also thanked Punjab Olympic Association for hosting the Torch Relay in a befitting manner.
Meanwhile, Kamran Lashari praised people of Lahore for receiving the Torch Relay with great enthusiasm.
Amir Jan said that Punjab Olympic Association will do its best to help and support to host the national games in a successful manner. He also vowed to send a strong contingent of Punjab to participate in national games.
Meanwhile, Olympians Khwaja Junaid, Naveed Alam, Shabana Akhtar, Rabia Ashiq, Babar Ali Khan, Faisal Kareem and Zulfiqar Ali took the Torch Relay to the downtown where it was received in with great enthusiasm in the backdrop fo a colorful ceremony at Delhi Gate.
At the end of the ceremony, the Torch Relay was then taken to Hazuri Bagh in a colorful Rickshaw, which represents art culture of the city.