Get a Sports Quota Seat at Punjab University: Trials, Documents and Benefits
Punjab University keeps 2% of morning seats for athletes. How sports quota admission works: the test, the Lahore trials, documents to bring and the fee waivers.
Punjab University keeps 2% of its morning and regular seats for students admitted on sports. To get one, apply for your programme, sit the university's admission test, then play the sports trial for your game in Lahore with a laminated copy of your admission form and your original sports certificates. Shortlisted players then submit their originals for checking.
We read the university's own notices for the 2026-27 sports based admissions on 2 October 2026: the trial schedule, the eligibility rules, the shortlist notice and the university's news report on the trials. This cycle is finished. Trials ran from 10 to 24 August 2026, and the shortlist deadline for documents was 7 September. What follows is how the process worked this year, so you can prepare for the next round.
Competition is rising. Punjab University said more than 2,400 candidates applied on the sports quota in 2026, up from about 2,100 the year before.
Punjab University reserves 2% of morning seats for sports
The university's 2026-27 eligibility rules reserve two percent of seats for admission on sports. These seats exist only in morning or regular programmes, not evening or self-supporting ones. A separate 2% quota covers co-curricular activities, with its own process.
The quota applies to BS first semester and BS fifth semester admissions. Fifth semester applicants are students joining after a two year degree, so they also submit their bachelor's documents.
The quota is not a back door around the academic rules. The notice is clear that you must still take the university's admission test, or the specific departmental test for subjects such as law, engineering or pharmacy. You must also meet that programme's minimum marks and subject combination. Engineering and pharmacy ask for 60%.
Law applicants need one more test first. Anyone aiming for the LLB on sports should register for the HEC LAT law admission test in good time.
Trials cover more than 30 games for men and women
The 2026 trials ran at Punjab University's new and old campuses in Lahore, with cycling at the Punjab Stadium velodrome and men's gymnastics at GC University. The university said 34 men's games and 31 women's games were tested this year.
| Detail | 2026-27 cycle |
|---|---|
| Men's trials | 10 to 17 August 2026 |
| Women's trials | 18 to 24 August 2026 |
| Where | Lahore only, mostly New Campus; women's trials largely at the Women Sports Complex, Old Campus |
| Games include | Cricket, hockey, football, athletics, swimming, squash, boxing, chess, rowing, rugby, kabaddi, tug of war |
| Applicants | More than 2,400 |
| Shortlist documents due | 7 September 2026 |
There are no separate trials for the Gujranwala, Jhelum or Pothohar campuses. Every candidate plays in Lahore, whichever campus they want. And the university says no separate calls are made, so you must turn up on your game's date and time from the schedule.
What to bring on trial day
The university's notice is strict about trial day. A missing laminated form means you are not allowed to play, and a missing original certificate means you cannot claim marks for that achievement. Bring your own kit and gear.
- A printed admission form with the game written on it, lightly laminated. It is used as your bib number.
- Photocopies of your CNIC, educational documents and all sports documents, attached to the form.
- Original sports certificates from recognised competitions. Your record can be at international, national, provincial, district, college, school or club level.
- Proper kit. Cricketers must wear whites.
- Your own gear: bat, racket, hockey stick, running shoes, or rifle and cartridges for shooting.
Club and academy certificates count, which is why a younger player's record matters. A trainee at a free Sports Board Punjab cricket academy, or a player in a registered club's tournaments, builds the paper trail the selectors ask for.
How the sports quota admission works step by step
The process runs from the online application to a trial, a shortlist and a document check. Admission to a particular department comes last, and depends on seats being free in the programme you chose.
- Apply online for your programme on Punjab University's admission portal and choose the sports category.
- Sit the admission test, or the departmental test your subject needs.
- Check the trial schedule on the university's admission notices page when it is posted.
- Play your trial on the set date with your laminated form, photocopies and original certificates.
- Check the shortlist on pu.edu.pk. Selectors and the Punjab University Sports Admission Committee prepare it.
- Submit originals in time at the Directorate of Sports, Admission Cell, Women Wing, New Campus, 8 am to 4 pm, Saturday included.
- Accept a department. A place depends on seats and your consent to the programme offered.
Shortlisted players must prove every certificate
Being shortlisted does not guarantee admission. The university checks your original sports certificates and medals with your academic documents. If any credential is false, invalid or cannot be verified, it can cancel the sports admission.
The 2026 shortlist notice asked for these originals:
- Sports certificates
- Matric and intermediate documents, plus bachelor's for fifth semester
- An NOC if you come from another board or university
- Six passport-size photographs
- Two affidavits or undertakings on stamped paper
It also asked for two sets of photocopies, including the CNIC of both the candidate and the father. For the affidavits, issue an e-stamp paper a few days before you go, so the deadline does not catch you.
Sports students can get fee waivers and a hostel
The university's trial notice lists incentives for students admitted on sports: full tuition fee and dues waivers, scholarships, free hostel accommodation and mess for women in the sports hostel, and free medical cover. They depend on performance at HEC, national and international level.
Read that last condition closely. The incentives are tied to how you play once you are in, not just to getting the seat. A player who stops competing should not count on keeping a waiver.
Common questions
How many sports quota seats does Punjab University have?
Two percent of seats, only in morning or regular programmes, under the 2026-27 eligibility rules.
Do I still need to pass the admission test?
Yes. The university says the admission test, or the departmental test, is mandatory even for reserved sports seats.
When are the next Punjab University sports trials?
Not announced. The 2026 trials ran in August, after applications closed. Watch the admission notices page on pu.edu.pk.
Can I play the trial at the Gujranwala campus?
No. All trials are held in Lahore, including for the Gujranwala, Jhelum and Pothohar campuses.
Do club level certificates count?
Yes. The notice accepts achievements from international level down to district, college, school and club level, with original certificates.
Who do I call about sports admissions?
Punjab University's Directorate of Sports, on 042 99231888 or 042 99231981, as listed on the trial schedule.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 2 October 2026. We read Punjab University's 2026-27 sports based admission trial schedule, its undergraduate eligibility and instructions document for 2026-27, the shortlist notice for sports quota admissions, and the university's news report of 10 August 2026 on the trials. All are on pu.edu.pk. The 2027-28 dates and rules are not out yet, and the university can change them, so check the new notice when it appears.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
