“The last few years have not been good for the sport in the country due to terror attacks a deteriorating law-and-order situation,” he said at the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup Polo Championship 2010.
Gilani said that sports players are ambassadors of the country and the responsibility to foil the efforts that create a false image of the country fell on the shoulders of sportsmen and women.
Lauding the national sportswomen, he said Pakistani athletes have made the nation proud with their performance at the South Asian Games.
“They have put across a very strong message to the world that Pakistan is quite opposite to the picture portrayed by the extremist and terrorist elements in the country.”
The PM stressed that terrorism can be given a lethal blow through the promotion of sports in the country and that the government is determined help uplift sport and promote a culture of sports in the country.
“I congratulate Pakistan Polo Association, Lahore Polo Club and all organisations on the successful conduction of the event in my capacity as the Patron-in-Chief of Sports”, he added.
The government has recently doubled the annual sports budget.
“I have established a task force, to be headed by the Federal Sports Minister, in order to open up avenues and generate more resources for sportsmen,” he said.
Gilani said that the Education Ministry has also been directed to make sport compulsory in the schools, colleges and universities.
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