Sindh enhances sports' budget by 68%

KARACHI: The government of Sindh has increased the existing grants to the Sports Department while 150 million rupees have been earmarked for Sindh Games this year.

Chief Minister Sinhd Murad Ali Shah presented the provincial budget for the financial year 2022-23 in the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday.

On the sports front, he informed that this year the government of Sindh has made an allocation of 1.802 billion rupees for Sports and Youth Affairs Department that is 68% higher than the allocation last financial year (Rs 1.069 billion).

He said that the department is playing an important role to organise sports events throughout Sindh in order to boost the capability of youth involved in sports activities and also to promote cultural sports.

“One of the prime objectives of the Government of Sindh is Promotion of sports activities to ensure instilling of positive attitude in the youth so that they do not fall prey to drugs, violence and bad habits,” he added.

The CM added that in order to promote/improve the sports in the province few new initiatives have been undertaken as 100 million rupees have been allocated to organise the Thar Jeep Rally.

Similarly, the existing grants of the Sports Department have been enhanced and Rs. 300 million have been kept for Grants for Sports Activities against the last year’s allocation of Rs. 200 million.

Moreover, 150 million rupees have been kept for “Sindh Games”. The last year’s allocation for the games was Rs. 100 million.

“In addition to the said things and in order to improve hockey as the national game, an allocation of Rs. 422.500 million has also been made as grant being first tranche out of Rs. 845 million for the construction of Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium in Karachi,” said the CM.

Murad ALi Shah said that an ADP scheme with a cost of Rs. 1.619 billion has been approved for the establishment of 19 Youth Development Centres (each with a cost of Rs. 85.230 million).

The youth deve “The main purpose of YDCs is to build the mental and physical health of the youth by providing them platforms for recreational activities,” stated the CM.