KARACHI: Sixteen outstanding sportspersons including eight boys and eight girls were presented with the Karachi Commissioner Sports Awards for Emerging Players of 2013 in an impressive ceremony held at the Pearl Continental hotel here on Monday.

The recipients were awarded for their excellent performances in sports such as cricket, hockey, tennis, athletics, football, boxing, cycling, basketball and malakhra respectively.

Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui expressed optimism that the youth who have earned sports awards will serve as role models in their respective fields and motivate others to emulate them. Each award carried a shield and Rs50,000.

Shoaib said the institution of award was not only aimed at restoring peace and filling the stadia with youth but it was also designed to set a healthy trend and bring a positive change in the society. `Despite the financial constraints we took the initiative and set the ball rolling,` said the commissioner who conceived this idea at the beginningof2014.

Admitting that it took a long time to present the awards to the budding sportsmen/sportswomen, he sounded optimistic that the trend will continue and go a long way in unearthing the talented players in the years to come. `It is need of the hour that the youth of the city be motivated towards healthy activities because, if left alone, they will be disgruntled souls,` he remarked.

Congratulating the recipients of the award, he said this was the first step to own them and hoped they will carry Pakistan flag aloft in sports arena globally in the future.

Acknowledging the philanthropists and sponsor Hilton Pharma in Monday`s reception, the commissioner said its owner Sardar Yaseen Malik immediately gave his nod to his request for giving out such awards.

He also had a word of praise for KCCA president Prof Ejaz Farugi who was the first to announce Rs100,000 seed money for the awards.

The commissioner also urged the corporate sector to repay the debt in the field of sports under corporate social responsibility programme. He commended the role of director local government Rubina Asif and his team of volunteers for making the event a success.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah was supposed to grace the occasion but was compelled to leave for Dadu due to the tragic demise of 19 people. Expressing his best wishes to the awards ceremony, the CM informed that he had played cricket regularly during his youth days and was the member of his college cricket team.

The commissioner also applauded the role of awards committee and the print and electronic media on the occasion.

Speaking on behalf of the awards committee former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui said he was confident that the exercise will yield fruitful results. Terming it as the first drop of rain, the hockey chief selector hoped it will pour in a big way in future.The ceremony was largely attended by people related to sports.

Recipients of award: Boys: Salman Khurshid and Ghulam Farid Mansoor (hockey), M. Waqas (cricket), Jehanzeb Khan (boxing), Waleed Raza (athletics), Aahil Shah Thar abi (table tennis), Sabir (cycling) and Abdul Jabbar (malakhra), Girls: RukhsarRashid(football), LiyaMushtaq(swimming), Mehreen(hockey), NehaKhan(tennis), ShezaAltaf(athletics),AyeshaNoor(taekwondo), Nayab (netball) and Zunaira Pasha (basketball).