On the floor: AstroTurf awaits installation at Mardan Sports Complex

Lack of attention has left the imported turf worth Rs50m in decrepit condition

PESHAWAR: A little over two years have passed since the previous Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government bought AstroTurf for Rs50 million to be installed in Mardan Sports Complex, however, to this day the synthetic turf is lying in the open awaiting installation.

Mardan District Hockey Association (DHA) General Secretary Nawaz Khan told The Express Tribune on Sunday the installation was stalled after the contractor demanded an extra Rs8 million to complete the project which was initiated in 2012. Khan said the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had agreed to install the expensive turf a year ago but has done little to fulfil its promises.



Due to the negligence of the authorities the turf imported from Germany and other equipment imported from South Korea is lying in the sun while games are played on grass in the stadium with inadequate equipment, said Khan.

He added Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers Iftikhar Ali Mashwani and Mujahid Khan were contacted in this regard and they have assured action.

Bijli Ghar Red Hockey Club captain Rehan Ashraf told The Express Tribune his team is counted among the best in the province but lost crucial matches because it was unfamiliar with AstroTurf surfaces as it had been playing on grass for the past two years.

“The morale of the players is low due to the inadequate facilities that we have,” he said, adding Mardan district has immense potential and has produced numerous prominent hockey players in the past.

While requesting anonymity, a PSB official told The Express Tribune the contractor is exploiting the authorities’ lack of attention to the project.



He maintained the PSB is not obstructing its completion. Mardan DHA President Azam Khan also urged the incumbent provincial government to take action.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2015.