Govt urged to spend on sports infrastructure

ISLAMABAD: A task force constituted by the prime minister to revive Pakistan sports has urged the government to allocate more money to build sporting infrastructure at the grassroots level.

The decision was taken at a meeting attended by former federal sports minister Pir Aftab Shah Jillani, Federal Sports Secretary Syed Anisul Hasan Mousvi, Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Syed Arif Hasan and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt.

The task force backed a demand by the Sports Ministry to allocate Rs230 million as development fund for coming fiscal year and bulk of this amount, an official said, would go for the improvement of the infrastructure in small cities and to facilitate those players who have achieved something for Pakistan.

Sports minister Aijaz Jhakrani said that all provinces would be asked to hold inter-provincial tournaments in five major games – athletics, volleyball, table tennis, badminton and football – at the school level before adding that the tournaments will then be taken to the college and university level.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 28th, 2010.