Shahnaz wants PM to merge sports with Education Ministry

ISLAMABAD: Former Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh has written a letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan with an appeal to merge sports with Education Ministry for the betterment of the games.

Talking to APP, Shahnaz said previously sports were an integral part of the education institution thus producing educated sports person for federations.

“Therefore it is the need of the hour to revive the previous system and sports be put under education ministry,” he said.

He said we require one umbrella organization to run sports affairs so that concentrated efforts and money is channelized in one direction.

“The National Sports Policy 2005 is not being implemented and the 18th amendment has further attributed sports as non identity in our society,” he said.

Speaking on improving the sports, he said there are about 28 Education Boards in the country and hundreds of schools are affiliated with each inter-board.

“If each and every government school is allowed to participate in the tournament, the total number of participating teams would be in hundreds,” he pointed in the letter.

He further said the government must allot a land for sports complex in this regard to 5 to 10 private school and colleges build on share basis system for use of sports activities to groom youth.

He said Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) needs to be amended and President PHF should be from corporate/private sector as he will be able to generate 75% revenue from private sector.

“To handle the present crisis, PHF should be given a 75 % bailout package to meet the expenditures.

This arrangement should be for at least three years, afterwards PHF should be given the status of self-reliance board like Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB),” he said.