Headless sports board of KP leaves players with little opportunities

PESHAWAR: Being a cricket legend, Imran Khan had promised to expand sports facilities for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata when his party had won the provincial government. However, the promise seems to be hollow as the sports board of K-P stands sans incharge. 

According to documents available with Geo News, seat of the sports board secretary is vacant since the past many months, while the board has been awaiting a director general for the past two years.  

Since no efforts have been made by the KP government to do hiring on the empty posts, sportspeople in KP and Fata have little opportunities to practice their relevant sports or play within or outside the country.

"Let alone finding opportunities, despite promises we are not even given an allowance to buy the clothing or racquet and shuttlecock to play," Hamza Khan, a badminton player in Peshawar, told Geo News. He is a student of second year, who is also registered as a player at Qayyum Stadium. "Even if we have to represent Peshawar at a tournament within the country, we have to pay for the ticket from our own pocket."  

As students it is difficult for the students to arrange for funds for their sports on their own.

Around a year and a half back, sportspeople from the tribal areas, on a visit to Peshawar, had complained they were provided with meals during their stay at Qayyum Stadium.  

However, the situation was not such during the previous regime in the province.

Before the PTI-lef provincial government took charge, Qayyum Stadium, one of the largest sports facilities in the province, would host sports galas. Women were given opportunities to practice there. Even though terrorism activities were taking place across the province during that period, sports activities were barely affected.  

But now the sports scene in the province seems to be fading away at least for players who want to pursue their passion on a larger level.

The available documents suggest funds available for promotion of sports in the province have not been utilised by the incumbent government.