KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) will take input from the top officials of the national sports federations, departments and Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) on Tuesday about the First Inter-Provincial Games which the government is going to organise at Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad from June 9-12. “We have invited the chiefs of all federations, departments and the POA president at 11am on Tuesday for a meeting in Islamabad,” PSB Director General Technical and Training Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera told ‘The News’ from Islamabad on Thursday. “We will seek their input and take them into confidence. Hopefully they will put their thumbs up for the event being held for the first time in the history of Pakistan,” he said. A handsome purse of Rs100 million has been allocated for the competitions. The federal government had allocated Rs500 million in public sector development programme last year with the advice that the money should be spent on a national-level competition for the next five years. “After great effort the PC1 was prepared last month and we are set to go for the competitions,” Ganjera said. He said if they did not use the fund it would lapse. “Initially we thought that the budget was decent but when we calculated the expenses it now seems that the amount will hardly meet the requirement,” Ganjera said. In the budgetary documents the term ‘National Games’ has been used, it has reliably been learnt. But the PSB is yet to finalise its actual name because of various complications and bindings as only POA has the legal right to hold National Games. However, it now seems that the organisers have agreed to name it Inter-Provincial Games. Around 3000 athletes and officials will be featuring in 12 disciplines, which include athletics, football, hockey, badminton, taekwondo, judo, squash, table tennis, wrestling (only men), karate, swimming and volleyball. Athletes from the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be showing their worth in the games. The participating units have been advised not to consider players above 25 years of age. Ganjera made it clear that no departmental player was eligible to feature in the event. “The event is being held in order to give youngsters a platform where they could showcase their talent at a big stage. The talented players could be scouted by departments during these games,” Ganjera pointed out. The organisers are in contact with the sports boards of the participating units. “We are in contact with the respective sports boards. It’s a joint effort and hopefully will be a success,” Ganjera said. “This time it has to be organised in June due to various problems but Insha Allah next year the slots will be conducted in much better weather,” the official said. All the expenses right from kits of the athletes and transportation to board and lodging will be met by the PSB. “We are also thinking about whether the athletes should be given daily allowances or they should be provided with proper meals in its place,” Ganjera said. Around 700 athletes and officials will stay at the hostels of the Sports Complex. The rest will be accomodated in hotels of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Sources said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would inaugurate the spectacle and President Mamnoon Hussain would be the chief guest at the closing ceremony. The country’s stars in different sports will be invited to become part of the torch-relay. Ganjera said that meetings with IB, Islamabad Police and Rangers had been held to ensure water-tight security arrangements for the competitions. Federal minister for inter-provincial coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada will lead the steering committee of the event.
