Peshawar - Spectacular Inter-University Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Games will begin on October 19 (tomorrow), with 3,000 athletes from 30 universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa competing in three sports of volleyball, badminton, and cricket. Khalid Khan, Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said while speaking to journalists here on Monday that all game-related preparations were finished on schedule, and that the players would reach the sports complex today (Tuesday). He said that Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan had been asked to attend the event as the chief guest by KP Minister of Sports Muhammad Atif Khan. The vice-chancellors and pro-VCs of all the participating universities, as well as the Acting Governor and Speaker of the Provincial Assembly Mushtaq Ahmad Khan have already been invited. In light of the special instructions provided by Mohammad Atif Khan and Secretary Sports Tahir Orakzai, Khalid Khan said that it would be the first time in history that Directorate General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is hosting the games with the participation of more than 3000 male and female athletes from all KP universities. He said that a number of committees had already been established to ensure smooth operation of the games. He claimed that all committees are comprised of the directors of sports at each of the participating universities, including Director Female Games Miss Rashida Ghaznavi, Director Operation Azizullah Jan, Deputy Director Sports Jamshed Baloch, Director General Sports University of Peshawar Bahre Karam, and Deputy Director Sports Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Mariyyah Samin. He claimed that while female athletes would compete in volleyball, cricket, and badminton, male competitors would play football, volleyball, and cricket. He said that football would be played at the University of Peshawar ground, Tehmas Khan Football Complex, and Qayyum Sports Complex, while the boys’ volleyball will be organised at Agriculture University under Director Sports Bilal Khan. The Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women’s University, Larama Campus, the Bamkhel Sports Complex in Swabi, and Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex in Charsadda will serve as the venues for the games of female athletes. He further said that players from 22 universities are competing in volleyball, 18 universities in cricket, and 20 universities are competing in badminton. For men, there are 26 universities competing in cricket, 28 universities competing in badminton, and 24 universities competing in volleyball. The games beginning on October 19 will continue till October 24. The teams represent a number of universities, including Bannu University of Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology Kohat, Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan, Khushal Khan Khattak University Karak, University of FATA, University of Lakki Marwat, University of Peshawar, University of Engineering Peshawar, Islamia College University Peshawar, Khyber Medical University Peshawar, University of Malakand, Shuhada- e-APS University of Technology Nowshera