KARACHI: Special assistant to caretaker Sindh Chief Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Islahuddin Siddiqui, has said that the proposed annual sports budget for the fiscal 2013-2014 has been substantially raised from Rs556 million to Rs1.2 billion which is expected to bring a positive change and boost sport activities in the province.

He revealed this information while addressing his first press conference at Karachi Gymkhana on Thursday after assuming the charge about a month ago. He was flanked by provincial secretary for sports, Siddiq Memon and provincial secretary for youth affairs, Riaz Ahmed Memon.

The former hockey Olympian, who returned after a whirlwind tour of interior Sindh, disclosed that three hockey grounds equipped with astro turfs will be commissioned later this month or early June.

Elaborating, he said, the base for laying the astro turfs at Khoro Stadium, Larkana, Railway Stadium Sukkur and hockey stadium in North Nazimabad, Karachi, were ready and the turfs will be laid soon.

He said the blue synthetic turf to be laid at North Nazimabad stadium was on way to the Karachi port and is expected to give a new lease of life to the national game after getting installed.

Islah said upon completion, he will hand over the Larkana and Sukkur grounds to the respective Divisional Commissioners who will form a committee which among others include a nominee of provincial sports department to run the show.

Referring his visit to Sukkur, Islah said a huge multi-purpose stadium, spread over 42 acres, was coming up fast and when complete, it will be Sindh’s biggest sports complex and second after Islamabad’s Jinnah Stadium which will go a long way in promoting sports.

He issued on the spot instructions to engineers to fill the project’s plinth which was four feet below the ground level.

He went on to say that another three hockey stadiums at Khairpur, Nawabshah and Thatta were in the pipeline and will be completed in future.

He said it was his endeavour to provide maximum facilities to the youth who are our future.

Islahuddin also spelt out a number of ongoing and future schemes which are being carried out under sports and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Youth Development Programme.

At the outset, he paid rich tributes to late Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who left an indelible mark during his five-year stint as Sindh Sports Minister.

He also prayed for the early recovery of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who is nursing head injuries at a hospital in Lahore.