By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) and the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) on Monday signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to promote chess across the country through grassroots development and youth engagement.

The signing ceremony, held at the Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad, was attended by Chairman PMYP Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, President of the Chess Federation of Pakistan Syed Zeeshan Naqvi, Vice President Malik Rehan Azam and other dignitaries.

Under the agreement, the two organizations will work together to develop chess at the grassroots level, launch a nationwide talent hunt programme, identify and nurture promising young players, and facilitate the participation of national players in international competitions. The partnership also includes the organization of the “Maarka-e-Haq Chess Series.”

Addressing the ceremony, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan said the government was fully committed to promoting sports and would extend every possible support to the Chess Federation of Pakistan. He described chess as a game that enhances intellectual and analytical abilities and said talent identification would begin at the grassroots level to discover and groom young players from across the country.

He said Pakistani youth were making the nation proud in different fields around the world, adding that the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme was supporting young athletes alongside initiatives in education and other sectors. He also termed the current year as a landmark year for sports development in Pakistan and announced that the country’s first-ever Hockey League would be launched soon.

Speaking on the occasion, Chess Federation of Pakistan President Syed Zeeshan Naqvi said the federation was taking practical steps to expand and strengthen chess across the country. He thanked the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and the Pakistan Sports Board for their continued support, expressing confidence that the partnership would provide a major boost to the game and create greater opportunities for emerging chess players to excel at the national and international levels.