KARACHI: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has released around Rs1.07 billion to various national sports federations and associations over the last five years, according to figures available on its official website.
The data, covering the period from the 2019-2020 fiscal year to 2023-2024, reveals that the funds were distributed through annual grants, special allocations, and directives issued by the President and Prime Minister, aimed at supporting the development of sports across Pakistan.
The Pakistan Volleyball Federation received the highest allocation, totaling Rs115.5 million over the five-year period, with a substantial Rs100 million allocated in the 2023-2024 fiscal year alone. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was the second-largest recipient, with Rs103.65 million received over the same period, including Rs59.15 million in 2023-2024. Smaller amounts were released in earlier years: Rs34 million in 2022-2023, Rs5.5 million in 2021-2022, Rs3.5 million in 2020-2021, and a special allocation of Rs1.5 million in 2019-2020 under directives from the President or Prime Minister.
The Athletics Federation of Pakistan was another major beneficiary, receiving a total of Rs101.29 million over five years, with the majority, Rs69.25 million, released in the 2023-2024 fiscal year alone.
The Pakistan Netball Federation was allocated a total of Rs70 million over five years, with significant allocations of Rs33 million in 2023-2024 and Rs32 million in 2022-2023. The Pakistan Taekwondo Federation received Rs60.97 million, with Rs39.5 million disbursed in 2023-2024 and Rs14.47 million in 2022-2023. The Pakistan Tennis Federation received Rs48.68 million over five years, including Rs32.9 million in 2023-2024.
The Pakistan Squash Federation received Rs49.92 million over the five-year period. Several other federations also received substantial support: the Pakistan Chess Federation was allocated Rs39.5 million, with Rs29.5 million distributed in 2022-2023, and the Pakistan Karate Federation received Rs38 million, with Rs34 million allocated in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
Other sports such as cycling, wrestling, and baseball also received notable allocations. The Pakistan Cycling Federation was granted Rs37.39 million, while the Pakistan Wrestling Federation received Rs37.93 million, and the Pakistan Federation Baseball was given Rs44 million.
The PSB’s documents also highlight funds given to smaller federations and individual athletes. The Pakistan Bodybuilding Federation received Rs3 million, the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation was granted Rs3.5 million, and the Pakistan Basketball Federation received Rs3 million. The Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association, a consistent medal-winning performer, received Rs24,741,500 over the last five years.
Individual athletes, such as boxer M. Shoaib Khan, received Rs1.7 million, and boxing champion Usman Wazir received Rs2 million. Mountaineer Asad Ali Memon was granted Rs1,050,000.
Interestingly, funds were also released to some federations whose existence and activities are relatively unknown. The Pakistan Soccer Futsal Federation was granted Rs23 million in the fiscal year 2022-2023, while the Sindh Mixed Martial Arts Association received Rs5 million in the same year. The Pakistan Tchoukball Federation received a grant of Rs3 million in 2023-2024.
The figures on the Pakistan Sports Board’s website indicate a total disbursement of Rs1,069,341,872 over five years. The allocations peaked in the 2023-2024 period, with a total of Rs509.13 million distributed among various federations, marking a significant increase in funding compared to previous years.
In the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the PSB released a relatively modest Rs25 million, which increased to Rs42.42 million in 2020-2021. The 2021-2022 fiscal year saw a further increase, with total funding rising to Rs69.5 million. However, the most dramatic increase occurred in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, when the PSB distributed Rs423.29 million among various federations and athletes.