LAHORE: The Pakistan Basketball Federation (PBBF) held an event at the Lahore Garrison Golf and Country Club, where they awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards to a galaxy of former and current sports stars and legends.
The organizers and attendees recognized and applauded the achievements of the honorees in their respective sports. Organizing Secretary Col Asif Dar ® and the PBBF officials, including PBBF President Alamgir Khan, PBF SVP Abdul Jawwad, Col Naseem Butt ®, Muhammad Akram, and others, worked tirelessly to make the event a grand success.
The event was graced by the presence of Mr. Tariq Bajwa, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Finance, as the chief guest, along with other notable guests, including former PCB Chairman Lt Gen Tauqeer Zia ®, former PGF President Lt Gen Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain ®, AFP President Maj Gen Akram Sahi ®, Abdul Jawwad, Alamgir Khan, Syed Zawar Shah, Mehmood H Jafarri, Aqeel Khan, and others.
Din Muhammad, the first gold medal winner of Pakistan, received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and a heartwarming announcement was made of Rs 200,000 for him. Col Dar thanked Pakistan’s international umpire Aleem Dar and Sheikh Riaz, former President Pakistan Weightlifting Federation, for this special gift (Rs 100,000 each) for Din Muhammad.
Other sports legends who were awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards include AFP President Maj Gen Akram Sahi (r), Olympic medalist Arshad Nadeem, hockey legends Dr Tariq Aziz, Munir Dar, Tanvir Dar, Tauqeer Dar, Ch Akhtar Rasool, Manzoor ul Hassan, international umpire Aleem Dar, tennis legend Rashid Malik, Nooh Butt, Dastagir Butt, Sheikh Farooq, Col Arif Malik (r), Col Mujahid Tareen (r), Rashid Butt, Shafiq Ahmed Chishiti, Irshad Ali Rench, Aftab Ahmed Khan, Col Javed Umer, Mohsin Nawaz, Alauddin Gogi, Irfan Ullah, SH Shah, Shujja Malik, Naqi Butt, Sh Riaz, Saima Shahzad, Goga Shahia, Maj Shahid Saadi (r), Malik Rashid, Aamir Iqbal, Imtiaz ul Hassan, Muhammad Akram, Col Naseem Butt (r), DSP Rana Shabbir, and Sh Ameen Late.
The PBBF also recognized sports journalists, who have been active in highlighting the achievements of sports persons and good work of sports federations and their officials. The recipients of the awards include Aqeel Ahmad, Ashraf Chaudhry, Azhar Masood, Ghalib Bajwa, Hafiz Shahbaz, Talal Dar, and Tauseef Akram.
Chief guest Tariq Bajwa expressed his views on the occasion, saying, “The purpose of organizing such a grand event was to honor and recognize the services of sports persons and organizers, especially the sports legends for Pakistan. They have made the country proud on many occasions and are true role models for our youth. Our youngsters must follow in their footsteps and work very hard to win international glories for Pakistan in sports.”
