ISLAMABAD: The country’s sports sector got little share in the Federal Budget 2020-21 announced on Friday as only two new schemes worth Rs 595 million that are related to preparation and holding of South Asian Games have been made part of the budgetary documents.

For the upcoming fiscal year, the government has earmarked Rs 300 million for rehabilitation and up-gradation of existing facilities at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad n orer to befittingly hold the South Asian Games in 2021-22.

Pakistan had hosted South Asian Games at Islamabad way back in 1989 and again in 2004 and will host another edition of the Games somewhere between July 2021 and June 2022.

The federal government has also allocated Rs 295 million for rehabilitation and up-gradation of existing facilities at the PSB Coaching Centre at Peshawar for holding a few disciplines of the South Asian Games.

Sources in the PSB, however, disclosed that the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) wants to hold the SA Games in Punjab but the federal government is keen to stage the event in Islamabad. The sources said that final decision is yet to be made on the venue of the Games.

The sources in PSB further said that after the 18th constitutional amendment, the respective provincial governments are responsible for allocating budget for sports infrastructure and holding activities in their provinces.

Meanwhile, Rs 333.920 million have been earmarked for five ongoing development schemes, the break-up of which is that Rs 15.281 million have been earmarked for construction of a boxing gymnasium at PSB Coaching Centre in Karachi while Rs 5 million have been allocated for construction of National Sports City in Narowal.

The said project was the brain child of former planning minister Ahsan Iqbal of PML-N who had played a key role in developing the facility in his constituency Narowal. However, the project was marred by controversy when, after change in government, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested then DG Pakistan Sports Board Dr. Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera and two other officials on corruption charges relating to the project.

The project was near completion then but was halted. However, the government has now allocated Rs 5 million for its completion. It is said that the total cost of the project was Rs 2994.329 million and Rs 2511.378 million have already been spent on this project.

Meanwhile, Rs 126.292 million have been allocated for another ongoing project titled ‘Establishment of Bio Mechanical Lab’ at PSB Islamabad, while Rs 102 million have been allocated for laying of Synthetic Hockey Turf at Gilgit and Rs 85.164 million has been earmarked for replacement of Synthetic Hockey Turfs in seven cities including Islamabad, Faisalabad, Wah Cantt, Peshawar, Quetta and Abbottabad.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2020