LAHORE, September 24 — Punjab Sports Minister Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar and Chinese Consul General in Lahore Sun Yan jointly inaugurated the Pak-China Friendship Games 2026 on Thursday, bringing together more than 2,000 male and female athletes from across Pakistan.
The Games opened with a colourful ceremony at the Gymnasium Hall of Nishtar Park Sports Complex in Lahore, featuring cultural performances representing different regions and provinces of Pakistan.
Khokhar and Sun Yan jointly unveiled the tournament trophy, while the Punjab sports minister administered the oath to participating athletes.
Vice Chairman Sports Board Punjab Salman Malik, Punjab Sports Secretary Fazal-ur-Rehman, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi, Additional Secretary Shabbir Hussain Cheema and other officials and sports personalities attended the ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, Khokhar said the Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Department was hosting the Games to celebrate 75 years of friendship between Pakistan and China.
He said more than 2,000 athletes from across the country were participating, while around 70,000 athletes had appeared in trials for the event.
Khokhar said the turnout demonstrated strong interest among young Pakistanis and described sports as another avenue for strengthening ties between Pakistan and China.
“Today, Lahore is sending a message to the entire world that we will continue to celebrate and strengthen Pak-China friendship through sports,” he said.
The provincial minister described Pakistan-China relations as being founded on mutual trust, respect and cooperation, while pointing to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a major example of cooperation between the two countries.
He also highlighted Punjab government initiatives aimed at expanding sporting activities and creating more opportunities for young athletes.
Chinese Consul General Backs Greater Sports Cooperation
Chinese Consul General Sun Yan welcomed the Pak-China Friendship Games, describing the event as a manifestation of longstanding ties between the two countries.
He congratulated the Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Department on organising the event and thanked the provincial government for its hospitality towards Chinese people.
Sun Yan said Pakistan and China had developed cooperation across trade, economy, culture, education, security and defence, describing CPEC as an example of bilateral cooperation.
He said relations between the two countries were based on mutual respect, trust and support and expressed hope that greater cooperation in sports would strengthen people-to-people contacts.
The consul general also referred to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s recent discussions with Chinese leadership in areas including agriculture, industry and technology.
Punjab Sports Secretary Fazal-ur-Rehman said there was considerable scope for Pakistan and China to expand cooperation in sports.
He proposed exchange programmes and joint training opportunities for coaches and athletes from both countries, saying such initiatives could benefit their respective sports sectors.
The opening ceremony concluded with souvenirs being presented to Khokhar, Sun Yan, Salman Malik, Fazal-ur-Rehman and Muhammad Tariq Qureshi.