Launched with fanfare, the project of international swimming pool at Nishtar Sports Complex has not been completed even after six years and multiplication of cost. The work on the project took off in 2008 at an estimated cost of Rs160 million but it remains incomplete despite an investment of more than Rs400 million, thanks to ‘red tape’.

The Punjab government undertook the initiative which was planned to be completed in two years but it seems to have lost interest in completing it. It should have been the priority of the provincial government to complete it at the earliest so as to give the youngsters a better facility than the Lahore Canal which is the favourite haunt of people in summer.

It is learnt that the estimated cost of the swimming pool has crossed Rs404 million as cumbersome procedure of getting approval for each addition or change to the original design has caused delay. The bureaucracy takes months to approve a project and even more time to get approval for any change or addition to the original design.

Officials say now 98pc of the work on the project has been completed but for the remaining task, the Sports Board Punjab is waiting for another approval.

Given the chief minister’s interest in having completed the projects of choice such as Metro Bus in time, it is scandalous that the much-needed swimming pool project is not accorded priority. One wonders why the authorities are not concerned about exorbitant increase in the cost of the swimming pool.

This past week Dar Hockey Academy, Lahore celebrated its 10th anniversary at National Hockey Stadium. Olympian Tauqeer Dar, who is running the academy from his own resources, said the idea to start the academy proved very helpful in providing training to youngsters free of cost during the last 10 years.

Six to eight players have been provided to national teams by this academy. Mr Dar said the youngsters from 10 to 18 years are the students and they are getting all facilities without any charges.

He pledged to continue work to let the academy flourish, saying the response of the players is very good. He said the academy’s teams had toured Europe four times which is a distinction.

Coaches Olympian Danish Kaleem, FIH umpire Haider Rasool and many others also attended the simple ceremony.

Lahore will be the hub of cricketing activities next week as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to set up camp for the training for the probables for England tour (July 14-Sept 7).

Twenty-one cricketers will attend the camp for five days before the team will be picked by the National Selection Committee headed by Inzamamul Haq.

Head coach Micky Arthur is expected to reach Lahore in the first week of June to start work on his new assignment.

Realising the fitness problem to the cricketers is a key issue, the Lahore Region Cricket Association (LRCA) has taken a step to remove this problem at the grassroots level and set up a two-month long summer camp at Model Town Greens ground.

LRCA Secretary Shoaib Dar said that in order to encourage the youngsters, former and current Test and International cricketers would also visit the summer camp. He said the PCB-qualified coaches, trainers, analysts and doctors had been hired to improve the skills of the youngsters.

In the camp Under-19 and 16 cricketers will be trained separately.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2016