Taekwondo body seeks partnership with govt to raise revenue

KARACHI: Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) is pursuing a public-private partnership with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) which if brokered could end the federation’s dependence on state funding.

This correspondent has learnt that the PTF wrote a letter in June to the Ministry of IPC regarding the partnership. The IPC ministry then sought some input from the PSB on the matter. The Board sought some more documents from the federation and forwarded them to the IPC minister Dr Fehmida Mirza whose final word on the matter would decide the things.

A couple of days ago, the PTF again wrote to the IPC ministry, seeking a meeting with the IPC minister to discuss with her the matters relating to the public-private partnership, purchase of equipment worth Rs10 million by the federation for holding national and international events and discuss the already approved Pakistan Open G-1 International Taekwondo Championship to be held in October.

The government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the first day has been interested in public-private partnership in order to improve efficiency of the institutions.

The PTF, which has been highly efficient in attracting sponsorship for its fighters’ foreign tours and training over the years, wants to change the trend of depending on state funding.

A senior official of the PTF told ‘The News’ that under the partnership, if finalised, the PTF would develop the infrastructure which would be given by the PSB under the partnership to the federation keeping in view top international standard.

“We would like to develop such an infrastructure under the public-private partnership which would be like the National Cricket Academy (NCA) at Lahore. It will have every kind of facilities,” the official said.

“It would cost the federation a huge amount of around Rs160 million,” the official said.

“Besides transforming the hall into a top international sporting centre, it will have a gym, offices for coaches, managers and centre’s director, an ambulance, a doctor’s room, conference rooms, dining areas, shops, cafes, separate residence chambers (hostel) for both male and female fighters, a mosque, and a huge parking area,” the official said.

“We are very serious. It is also the directive of the prime minister. We are very sincere and honest in our approach and want to work with the state for the development of taekwondo in which Pakistan has immense potential,” the official said.

“It will benefit both the PSB and the federation. The latter would generate funds through this facility which will be spent on the development of taekwondo,” the official said.

Since the devolution of sports through 18th amendment, the central government has been finding it difficult to meet the needs of its 42 affiliated federations.

For the last couple of years, the federal government has not substantially supported federations which have dented the latter’s capability to develop their respective sports disciplines.

The official also said that the decision about the G-1 event, which Pakistan is to host in October, would be taken after World Taekwondo Executive Council’s decision on the fate of the 2020 events during a meeting from August 10-15.