PM announces resumption of departmental sports

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced resumption of departmental sports, bringing to an end the prevailing uncertainty amongst the sports community.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at a cash prize distribution ceremony, held at the PM House on Thursday for nine athletes, announced the resumption of departmental sports.

A ban on departmental sports was imposed during Imran Khan’s tenure as the PM. The decision taken almost three years back had left hundreds of sportsmen jobless and resulted in closing down of sports sections of major departments, corporations and autonomous bodies. These sports units were earlier serving as grooming grounds for athletes. Besides other sports, the ban crippled the hockey activities around the country resulting in dearth of emerging talent.

PM Shehbaz appreciated Pakistan athletes’ performance in the Commonwealth Games and Islamic Solidarity Games. “You have made the country proud by winning medals and raising the Pakistan flag higher. The medal winners are an aspiration for the country’s youth,” said the premier.

Athletes winning medals were given cash incentives according to laid down policy. The gold medal winners at the Commonwealth Games, Arshad Nadeem and Nooh Butt, were given Rs5 million each with Inam Butt and Zaman Anwar receiving Rs2 million each (for silver medals). All five athletes (three wrestlers, one judoka and one para table tennis player) received Rs1 million each for winning bronze). Arshad Nadeem also received an extra Rs1 million for winning gold at Islamic Games.

The prime minister mentioned that Pakistan was passing through challenging times due to flash floods across the country. He expressed grief over the death of around 800 people in the last few months due to floods and said the government would leave no stone unturned to provide relief and rehabilitation to the victims.

Earlier on Wednesday, Geo TV anchorperson and senior journalist Hamid Mir had pointed out the issue in his show, Capital Talk, in the presence of Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir Khan recently. He asked the minister to restore all sports teams, at least in Wapda.

Khurram replied that sports team had already been restored in Wapda, except for cricket and some other sports. He regretted that former premier Imran Khan, despite being a sportsman, had imposed a ban on departmental sports during his tenure.

The anchorperson asked the minister to take up the issue in the next cabinet meeting that those sports persons, who were given jobs in different departments, had been facing severe problems and, therefore, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should restore sports teams in all the departments.

The minister made it clear that those bringing medals in recent Commonwealth Games and Islamic Solidarity Games were employees of Lesco and other departments. Arshad Nadeem, who was very close to setting a world record, was an employee of Lesco, and Nooh Butt was an employee of Gepco. Khurram Dastgir promised in the Geo News programme that he would take up the matter with the prime minister and the issue would be resolved.