ISLAMABAD : President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday gave cash awards of Rs, 500,000 each to the players and Rs 200,000 each to the coaches of the national cricket team of women which won the gold medal in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.He gave the cash award during a reception hosted for the team players in the Presidency to felicitate them on their win. The reception was also attended by the coaches, managers, PCB officials and the newly appointed Chairperson Women Wing PCB Ms. Bushra Aitzaz.Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Federal Minister for Sports, . Qamar Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Federal Minister for Population Welfare, Ms. Asma Arbab Alamgir, Ms. Shehnaz Wazir Ali, Ms. Fouzia Wahab, Ms. Fouzia Habib and Chairman ZTBL Zaka Ashraf were also present on the occasion.
The President hoped that the precedent set by the national women’s cricket team during 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou would provide impetus to other potential women athletes to bag more victories thus bringing laurels to the country.“Ours is a talented nation,” the President remarked, ‘with potential to rise in every field. The important factor is how the talent is groomed and guided to maximize its true potential,” he said.The President while interacting with the team members congratulated them for their historic victory and hoped that they would continue to make their mark in the field and win more laurels for themselves and the country.He said that the whole nation was proud of the young athletes not only for their victory but also for introducing Pakistani women as a symbol of talent and great potential. He said that their winning the gold medal had cast the women of Pakistan in a bright light throughout the world.The President said that had Shaheed Benazir Bhutto been alive today, she would have been very happy to see our sportswomen being recognized internationally.The members of the team thanked the President for the support the Government has been providing to them -App
