Sports, recreation facilities in K-P

Peshawar has gone through the most distressing times for more than a decade and is in need of sports events.

The recently held T20 peace match at the deserted Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium in Peshawar attracted not only the residents of the walled city but also a large number of government officials, who swarmed the venue.

A number of international players, playing in national squad as well as former cricket legends, provided a great opportunity for enjoyment to the people of the war-hit capital city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Peshawar has gone through the most distressing times for more than a decade and is in need of more such events. Sporting events have been slowly banished from the city but are much needed to restore the peoples’ peace of mind.

There is no doubt that all segments of life have been severely hit and everyone wants to get out of the mental stress triggered by a prolonged wave of security threats. After the damage that we have witnessed, it will take a long time to get back to normalcy where people will no longer feel terror.

Night tournaments are organised at departmental level in other parts of the country where people after daylong work get relaxation by watching these matches.

But the situation in Peshawar is totally opposite and sport remains hitherto a neglected sector, which need immediate attention. The showbiz sector has already suffered greatly as cinemas are closed. Some artistes and singers have either bid adieu to their profession or have migrated from their native areas.

The overall state of sports and particularly cricket is on the decline in the city due to dearth of playing fields and politics in selection of teams.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government with its chief a cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan, has announced that he would start a talent hunt programme in the K-P and tribal areas to select good players for the national team.

It will be a good move but the main thing he must concentrate on is to strengthen cricket and other sports at grass root levels – that include educational institutions, village teams, departmental teams – and select them on merit instead of political affiliations and influence.

As the population of Peshawar has reached roughly 2.8 million, a time will come when there will not be enough space to play any game. This issue must be given prime attention and sports grounds must be constructed at a small level to promote games in educational institutions.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2013.