National Institute of Sports: Still a dream, even 40 years later

Previous govts have failed to establish the proposed project in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The plan to set up the National Institute of Sports at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad has failed to materialise in the last 40 years due to a lack of interest from all previous governments, causing a setback to the promotion of sports in the country.

The prime objective of the proposed project was not only to train players, coaches, instructors, referees, umpires, technical staff, and sports researchers and to meet global sports challenges on the most modern scientific lines, but also to set up an institute which could offer health and physical education and teach the science of sports at a higher level.

The Express Investigation Cell revealed that a document was signed between the government of Pakistan and China about 40 years ago on August 28, 1975 to build a sports institute in Islamabad.

Consequently, an autonomous organisation with the tile of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto National Institute of Sports and Culture was set up to look after the construction of the proposed multipurpose sports project with the cooperation and assistance of Chinese technical experts.

During the regime of General Ziaul Haq, the project was renamed as National Institute of Sports and Culture (NISC), but no progress was witnessed. After a long break, the executive committee of the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB), in 1999, approved a plan to construct the institute, but later on, the project was again placed on the backburner due to various reasons.

Recently, the present government has taken the initiative through the Ministry of Interprovincial Coordination by asking the PSB to submit a fresh proposal for the establishment of the institute.

When contacted, Deputy Director General (Academic) PSB Muhammad Shahid acknowledged the findings of this report and said that he has recently submitted a fresh proposal for the commencement of the project.

Shahid further said he hoped for a positive progress in launching the construction work in the near future, adding that a meeting will most likely be held in the third week of February to finalise the required formalities and arrangements of the project.

 

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