Government directs departments to stop spending on sports teams

KARACHI: The federal government departments have been directed to stop spending on the activities of their sports teams in various disciplines till March 2022, ‘The News’ has learnt.

The federal government is working a comprehensive plan for proper utilisation of sports funds of federal departments.

The decision to this effect was taken in high level meeting of ministry of IPC earlier this month where heads of various federal government departments were called.

Sources said that the participants of the meeting were directed to stop spending funds on any sproting activities including participating in the domestic sports competitions till March.

The sources said that the federal government wanted that the sports funds to be utilised for the promotion of sports at regional level. In this regard new policies are being drawn.

The sources said that the participants were informed that the federal government would brief them on how departmental sports fund can be used at regional level.

The sources said that there is ambiguity about the future of sports departments at federal government level. So far no direction about the future of the players of various disciplines in various departments has been given, they added.

After the meeting a participant of the meeting said that said that if the federal government’s policy was implemented it would mean the departmental sports teams would be closed.

The participants included high officials of WAPDA, KRL, SNGPL, ZTBL, SSGC, Railways, PIA, and HEC.