SBP General Body approves several projects

LAHORE: The inaugural meeting of Sports Board Punjab’s General Body was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Minister of Sports Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti at National Hockey Stadium on Friday.

The meeting was attended by Vice-Chairman SBP Rao Zahid Qayyum, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Nadeem Mehboob, Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh, MPAs Talat Fatima Naqvi, Aysha Nawaz, Additional IG Training Rana Tahir, Saqib Wazir Media Advisor, President Punjab Women Hockey Tanzeela Amir Cheema, Aneela Khawaja, Mareena Iqbal, Farzana Rauf, Najia Rasool, Nadia Farooqi, Kiran Ilyas and representatives of different departments.

DG Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh gave a detailed briefing about the annual performance of Sports Board Punjab, development schemes and other key affairs in the general body meeting.

He told the meeting that 315 sports facilities are presently working in the province while 193 new development schemes have been launched. Out of these new schemes, 24 are in final phase of completion.

Several projects such as SBP’s 2019-20 budget, Annual Sports Calendar, 11 pitches and outer wall in Greater Iqbal Park, Inter-Division Volleyball Championship in DG Khan, Mat-Wrestling in Gujranwala, Mobile App for online booking of SBP’s grounds and the High Achiever Award for medal winners in different games at international level were approved during the meeting.

Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti, on this occasion, directed the concerned staff to complete boxing and squash courts in Nishtar Park Sports Complex within the period of two years. The general body meeting paid rich tribute to Sports Board Punjab for holding International Kabaddi Taakra, Punjab Games and Annual Sports Calendar after a gap of 8 years.

Addressing the meeting, Punjab Minister of Sports Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti said Sports Policy is being prepared for the first time in the history of province and it is in the final phase of completion. “The sports culture will be revived in the province after the approval of Sports Policy”.

He informed that over 3000 players took part in the Punjab Games held in April 2019. “The saving policy of Prime Minister Imran Khan was strictly followed during the Punjab Games and as a result of this policy we managed to save billions of rupees”.

Punjab Minister of Sports Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti said: “We are holding regular sports championships of different games to give youngsters a suitable platform to express their talent. Sports Board Punjab has been put on right track. A large number of under-16 players will be prepared in the years to come”.

Punjab Minister of Sports refuses to take new car: Punjab Minister of Sports Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti has refused to take new car in SBP’s General Body meeting. According to details, the General Body meeting of Sports Board Punjab was told that there is acute shortage of vehicles for SBP officers. And the working of Sports Board Punjab is being affected due to this factor.

The General Body meeting of Sports Board Punjab approved a car for SBP Chairman but he refused to take new car saying that he is acting upon the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan not to put extra burden on national exchequer.