UNIC Islamabad, the Higher Education Commission, the Pakistan Olympic Association and NUST joined hands to celebrate the International Day of Sports for Peace & Development on 6 April at the NUST gymnasium.

The ceremony was part of a series of events held across different cities of Pakistan aiming at empowering Pakistani youth through education and sports and at promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to healthy lifestyles, peace, tolerance and partnership.

The celebration at NUST opened with a friendly badminton match and was followed by a panel discussion on sports for development and peace with a focus on gender equality and people living with disabilities.

Panelists included Shamsa Hashmi, Head of Women’s Cricket at Pakistan Cricket Board and Additional Director Sports at the University of Punjab; Sana Mahmood, Captain of the Pakistan National Women’s Basketball Team and former captain of the Pakistan National Women’s Football Team; Suleman Arshad, a visually-impaired athlete who established the first para-climbing club of Pakistan; Fida Hussain, Director General Sports at the Higher Education Commission. The discussion revolved around issues of gender equality, inclusivity and sports, and lack of priority given to sports despite it being a useful tool for driving positive change in societies.

The debate was followed by an award ceremony presented by Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of Higher Education Commission, Engineer Muhammad Asghar, Rector NUST and Lt Gen (Retr) Syed Arif Hasan, Chairman Pakistan Olympic Association.

Over 200 athletes, who had participated in various sports events before the celebration, attended the event.