KP witnessed 300pc increase in sports funds, says Junaid

ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has invested a whooping Rs10.6 billion in sports promotion during the last five years, recording an overall increase of Rs300 percent in the previous year expenditures, claimed KP Director General Sports Junaid Khan in an exclusive talk with ‘The News’.

KP, according to the sports DG, is the only province that has initiated a sports policy aiming at broadening the base of sports infrastructure and bringing the facilities closer to the masses.

“This sports policy is not only a verbal one but has achieved its practical objectives in a very short span of time. Our basic objective was to spread sports infrastructure to tehsil and district levels.”

“In 25 districts, approximately 70 grounds at tehsil level were approved, out of which 50 grounds are functional. Out of 30 school grounds approved for upgradation, more than 22 have been completed while the remaining will be completed on June 30,” Junaid said.

He added that state-of-the-art sports complexes have been built in Hayatabad, Charsadda and Swabi, while upgradation of the Kohat and Mardan facilities is underway.

“The Swat Sports Complex has been approved and new ones in Tank, Haripur and Abbottabad have been included in the ADP 2018. Three athletics tracks costing Rs360 million have been approved for DI Khan, Bannu and Kohat.”

Junaid said efforts were also on to give maximum facilities to hockey players.

“Mardan and Bannu hockey turfs have been laid. Four new turfs have been approved for DI Khan, Kohat, Charsadda and Peshawar’s Islamia College while resurfacing of existing turfs in Abbottabad, Swat and Peshawar have been okayed under the Federal PSDP project.”

Junaid said cricket is one of the most popular sports in KP. “Efforts are being made to improve the overall cricket structure.”

“A state-of-the-art cricket complex has been approved at the Arbab Niaz Stadium with an expected cost of Rs1,380 million with an objective to completely overhaul the international venue.”

He said more than 30 sports facilities in the province are under rehabilitation and upgradation.

The KP government has also built nine synthetic tennis courts in Peshawar to further nourish tennis talent of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The famous ladies club at University Town in Peshawar has been comprehensively developed to provide sports facilities — including two synthetic tennis courts, two squash courts, walking track, playing area for kids and exercise room to the members. Swimming pools at Mardan and Peshawar Sports Complexes have been overhauled as per international standards.”

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the only province which has consecutively held three successful Under-23 games in the past three years,” Junaid added. “More than 25,000 players participated in the games and they were provided with TA/DA, tracksuits, shoes, prize money and sports gear. The winners have been given educational scholarships amounting to Rs250 million.”

The province also spent Rs55 million on talent hunt programme and another Rs200 million for establishment of sports academies.

Junaid added that all the deserving players had been given financial assistant through endowment fund.