PESHAWAR, Dec 16 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday inaugurated Rs. 994 million Hayatabad Sports Complex expansion project to develop it as per the international quality and standards of International Cricket Council.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, Provincial Health Minister, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary Sports Abid Majeed, Additional Secretary Sports Junaid Khan, DG Sports Asfandyar Khan Khattak and other senior officials, accompanied the premier.
Provincial Secretary Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Abid Majeed while briefing about the project said the international standard Cricket Stadium of Hayatabad Sports Complex would be completed by June 2021 that would offer all the facilities including main pavilion, general stands and digital score board as per International Cricket Council standards.
Fitness gym and all-weather international standard swimming pools are also parts of Hayatabad Sports Complex project. The project is also underway to provide indoor sports facilities for women athletes at a cost of Rs 100 million and to be completed in December 2021.
Similarly, playgrounds have been constructed in 66 Tehsils have already been completed while work on 10 other playgrounds in underway in 10 others. 50 playgrounds have been constructed in 50 Union Councils and projects are underway in 209 Union Councils.
He said that monthly scholarships are being given to medal winners of the 33rd National Games and grant has been allocated to ensure sports scholarship to the medal winners of the U21 Games soon after completion of the second phase to be organized at District level.
Secretary Sports Abid Majeed said on the occasion that the construction work on Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium in Peshawar will be completed by November 2021 and the project will cost Rs 1377 million.
He said KP has taken lead by establishing nine Astroturf hockey grounds out of the total 13. These included Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium, Peshawar Sports Complex, Mardan Sports Complex, Bannu Sports Complex along with historical Islamia College Peshawar, Charsadda Sports Complex, Kohat Sports Complex, Dera Ismail Khan Sports Complex and Abbottabad Astroturf hockey complex.
He said that four international standard squash courts have also been constructed in Peshawar Sports Complex while ten more squash courts are being constructed in different educational institutions.
Former World Champion Jansher Khan started working with the Directorate of Sports KP and hopefully with his induction and supervision, the Directorate of Sports KP would be able to produce players at grassroots level.
He was also assisting in the construction of squash courts and other matters along with squash coaching, Secretary Abid Majeed informed.