ISLAMABAD, Oct 20 (APP): Artificial turfs have been laid in the hockey grounds of Islamabad and Quetta, while work is in progress to install the same in Peshawar, Abbottabad, Faisalabad, Muzaffarabad and Wah Cantonment.
The initiative was aimed at reviving hockey in the country. This was disclosed by an official, who told APP on Thursday that the government was taking measures for the promotion of sports in the country. “It is introducing a new governance system and national sports policy for the overhauling of sports structure,” he added.
“The federal government through the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) provides administrative, technical and financial support to promote various sports, including hockey,” he said.
With respect to the revival of hockey, the government was taking several steps for the improvement of performance and international ranking of the national team, and a overhaul of the domestic hockey structure, the official mentioned.
“The Government has provided Rs 9 million to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) as annual grant during the last five years. It has also released an amount of Rs 3.5 million out of the 7.3 million, under the PM’s directives to PHF as a special grant,” he said.
He said an amount of Rs 5.5 million was released to the PHF for training cum competitions. “The PSB also established National Hockey Training Camps and incurred expenses around Rs 7 million. Moreover, it also hired the services of a foreign coach during the period November 21, 2021 to April 30, 2022 (five months & 10 days), at the cost of US$42,667,” he said.
However, he said that the subject of sports was devolved after the 18th constitutional amendment and the role of Federal Government had become limited. “Now, the provincial governments are mainly responsible for promotion of sports in their respective provinces,” he said.
“National Sports Federations are autonomous bodies and responsible to carry-out their sports activities at national and international level.”
He further said, “The Federal Government extends its technical and financial support through National Sports Federations. To the extent of providing sports infrastructure, the government has completed two projects, including installation of synthetic hockey turf and construction of boxing gymnasium in Quetta.”
“Similarly, a project to rehabilitate and upgrade existing facilities of the PSB, a coaching centre at Quetta with an estimate renovation cost of Rs 379.311 million has been included in the current year PSDP,” he said.