PSB, HEC to work together for sports university

KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera on Friday said that the Board along with Higher Education Commission (HEC) would make coordinated efforts to set up the first ever sports university of the country.

“Yes, it’s our target as the government has already approved Rs200 million for the purpose. I am confident that we along with the HEC would be able to make it a reality,” Ganjera told ‘The News’ on Friday.

“If things went in the right direction you will see the varsity, which will help a lot in sports development,” said Ganjera, who has taken charge after serving a three-month suspension over alleged corruption.

Ganjera said that it was expected that the Board would organise a function for handing over cash prizes to the medal-winners of the South Asian Games held in India early last year.

“I will discuss the issue with the IPC minister. It will be better if we hold a ceremony and hand the cheques directly to the athletes. The other option is to hand them over to the target players through their federations,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the amount has been transferred by the Board to the accounts of the federations.About foreign coaches, Ganjera said that the case of table tennis and taekwondo coaches was being processed. He added that the volleyball coach’s contract would be extended.

Pakistan last April hired the services of Iranian coach Hamid Movahedi for six months. He has handled the team in three international events during the last two and a half months. To a query, Ganjera said that foreign coaches were very good for Pakistan. “You can produce better results through foreign coaches,” he said. For the last few years, Pakistan did not utilise the services of foreign coaches which affected the performance of the country in different sports disciplines.