PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Games, organised by the directorate general (sports), will begin today (Thursday), with more than 2,000, including men and women, participating in the monthlong event.

All preparations for the games have been completed, according to director general (sports) Abdul Nasir.

He told reporters here on Wednesday that male and female athletes would participate in 16 and 12 games,respectively.

`Men will participate in athletics, football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, karate, taekwondo, boxing,squash, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, throwball, judo, wushu and handball contests, while women will partake in athletics, hockey, cricket, volleyball, basketball, karate, taekwondo, judo, netball, squash, table tennis and badminton competitions, he said.

Mr Nasir said a total of 2,380 male and female players will compete in these games, including 1043 female players. The players will be provided with daily and traveling allowances, accommodation, sports equipment, shoes and kits for these games.

He said Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur would inaugurate the games at the Peshawar Sports Complex in the provincialcapital for which all arrangements had been completed.

The DG said thatteams from DI Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Mardan, Swat, Abbottabad and Peshawar regions would participate in the mega event.

Hesaidthat theKhyberPakhtunkhwagames were an important step towards the promotion of sports under the leadership of provincial sports and youth affairs minister Syed Fakhar Jahan, as per the vision of Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur regarding the development of sports, which will not only bring out new talent but also produce the best players for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa contingent for the National Games in May.

Mr Nasir said that out of 1,043 female players, 42 would participate in badminton, table tennis and squash contests, 42 in athletics, 126 in volleyball, 98 in karate, 91 in basketball, taekwondo, volleyball and netball, 98 in cricket, 126 in judo and 56 in judo, women badminton and squash at the Peshawar Sports Complex, table tennis, volleyball, hockey, judo, karate and netball at the Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex Charsadda, athletics, cricket, taekwondo and basketball at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary E ducation Peshawar.

He said that men`s badminton con-tests would be held at Peshawar Sports Complex, table tennis at Hayatabad Sports Complex, squash at Peshawar Sports Complex, volleyball at Pakistan Sports Board`s Coaching Centre, athletics in Kohat, karate in Hayatabad Sports Complex, gymnastics at Peshawar Sports Complex, throwball at PSB Hall, handball at Peshawar Sports Complex, basketball at the University of Peshawar, boxing, hockey and taekwondo at Peshawar Sports Complex, judo at PSB Hall and wushu at Peshawar Sports Complex.

The DG said that in the first phase, open trials were held in all regions from Feb 1 to Feb 10, which was supervised by the regional sports officer, district sports officers, representatives of relevant associations, and coaches ofthe directorate.

Additional DG Sports Rashida Ghaznavi, Director Operation Naimatullah Marwat, Deputy Director Jamshed Baloch, Admin Officer Syed Jafar Shah were also present on the occasion.