From Sitara-i-Imtiaz to Hilal-i-Imtiaz: KP Sports Personalities in Pakistan’s Civil Awards

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Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has had a notable presence among Pakistani sportspersons honoured with national civil awards, with several prominent athletes receiving recognition for their contributions to sport over the years.

The Government of Pakistan’s 2017 Civil Awards, announced by the Cabinet Division on March 14, 2018, included three sportspersons from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan and all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi were awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in the field of cricket. Karate player Khalid Noor, also from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, received the President’s Award for Pride of Performance.

The same 2017 notification also named Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed for the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in cricket, while Najia Rasool received the President’s Award for Pride of Performance in taekwondo and Colonel (Retd.) Abdul Jabbar Bhatti received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for mountaineering.

Afridi receives another national honour

The recognition of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s sporting figures has continued. In May 2026, President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the Hilal-i-Imtiaz on Shahid Khan Afridi at an investiture ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The official presidential statement listed Afridi among the recipients honoured for outstanding services in their respective fields.

Afridi therefore now appears in Pakistan’s civil-awards record with two major national honours, having first received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in the 2017 awards and later the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2026.

The record of these awards also highlights the wider contribution of Pakistani sportspersons beyond cricket, with national honours having been awarded to athletes from disciplines including karate, taekwondo, mountaineering and hockey.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the inclusion of names such as Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Khalid Noor in the civil-awards record provides a documented link between the province and Pakistan’s national sporting honours.

Source: Government of Pakistan, Cabinet Division Civil Awards notification of March 14, 2018, and President of Pakistan, Civil Awards investiture report of May 13, 2026.

#PakistanSports #KhyberPakhtunkhwa #KP #Peshawar #CivilAwards #SportsAwards #ShahidAfridi #YounisKhan #PakistanCricket #Sports #Pakistan

Battagram Athletes Demand Sports Trials in Their Home District

Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator

Athletes from Battagram have demanded that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate conduct trials in Battagram as well for competitions organized at the provincial level.

The athletes said that for the past several years, trials for various competitions have been conducted in Abbottabad, which is a considerable distance for athletes from Battagram. They said many young athletes, particularly those from financially disadvantaged families, cannot afford to travel to Abbottabad for training and trials.

They also complained that athletes who travel to Abbottabad for the trials are not provided with travel or other expenses, placing an additional financial burden on them.

According to the athletes, players from Kohistan and other remote areas face similar difficulties. They said the current system can prevent talented athletes from participating simply because they cannot afford the cost of travelling to the designated trial venue.

The athletes have appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Adviser to take notice of the issue and direct the relevant authorities to hold some trials in Battagram as well. They said conducting trials at the district level would make participation easier for athletes from remote and economically disadvantaged areas and provide them with a fair opportunity to compete.

#Battagram #KhyberPakhtunkhwa #KP #Sports #Athletes #SportsTrials #SportsDirectorate #Abbottabad #Kohistan #PakistanSports

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