PM okays national sports policy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Friday approved the National Sports Policy 2022-27 through a notification in an effort to stage renaissance in country’s sports and restore past glory through engagement of youth in sports activities at grassroots level.

Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) Ehsanur Rehman Mazari and his team headed by secretary IPC Ahmad Hanif Orakzai have jointly made special efforts to improve the existing document by making it more practical and result-producing and at the same time ensuring that every stakeholder plays his part in improving overall standard of sports nationally and internationally.

The policy, available exclusively with ‘The News’, aims at active engagement of youth in sports and healthy activities at all levels to curb extremism as well as drug abuse.

The approval of sports policy is an effort to make Pakistan a sports-loving country by harnessing the power of sports to inspire positive social change and promoting values of tolerance and fair play.

The salient features of the sports policy include development and promotion of sports in Pakistan by encouraging sportspersons, organising sports tournaments, provide coaching, and improve, sports facilities and all levels to achieve excellence in sports at regional and global levels.

The second feature aims at effectively regulating sports bodies, federations, clubs and teams through transparent and streamlined governance to depoliticise sports’ administration and selection.

Other features are: To create greater functional accountability and coordination amongst all provincial and regional stakeholders/interested parties; Restructure sports governance system in the country.

Foster sports culture in the country; Promote sports at the grassroots level with special focus on less developed areas; Prepare players for better performance in national and international competitions; Promote sports tourism; Organise international sports events in Pakistan; Organize sports leagues in different sports disciplines with collaboration of the private sector; sport diplomacy through strengthening international collaboration.

After a critical appraisal of the existing legal framework and National Sports Policy 2005. National Sports Policy 2022.2027 has been deemed under the Constitution and Sports (Development and Control) Ordinance 1962.

Furthermore, the new Constitution of the PSB has been promulgated and notified in January, 2022 for better sports governance system in the country.

Approval of the Federal Sports Coordination Committee has also been given. 5.2. Role of Federal Sports Coordination Committee (FSCC);

The Federal Sports Coordination Committee (FSCC) will facilitate and coordinate promotion of sports through proactive engagement of Provincial Governments and uniformity of policy for Integration with education; Infrastructure development; Sports fund at provincial level; Conduct of Inter-Provincial Games; Any other task relating to sports. The FSCC will comprise federal minister dealing with sports (chairperson), federal secretary dealing with sports (member), sports ministers of all provinces including AJK, GB and DG PSB.

The sports policy draft also clarified the role of Pakistan Sports Board that the PSB’s role will be to: Promote, develop, supervise, regulate all forms of domestic and international sports excluding cricket; To affiliate National Sports Federations and sports bodies; To consider and recommend the affiliation of the National Sports Federations to respective International Governing Sports bodies; To facilitate NSFs in organization of national-level Youth, Junior, and Senior tournaments; To send a representative to observe the election process of POA; Provide technical, and where necessary, financial assistance to NSF's; Develop sports infrastructure in Pakistan; Arrange and secure domestic and foreign training facilities and scholarships for players, umpires, coaches, support personnel and other officials; To promote and develop standards of national fitness as well as standards of competition, comparable to international standards.

All provincial governments including regions i.e. AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan should formulate their sports policies, based on the principlesand guidelines outlined in this policy.

Each province through its respective provincial sports board, will supervise the affairs of provincial sports associations and will allocate a reasonable/appropriate sports budget for sports related activities.

Provinces will ensure to make their Sports Offices at Tehsil, District and Divisional levels to implement sports policy in letter and spirit; Provincial Sports Boards

In addition to the tasks & ready being performed, the Provincial Sports Boards may undertake the following tasks to assist in implementation of Sports Policy; The Provincial Governments will ensure filling up of vacant District and Tehsil Sports Offices, on merit with requisite staff to implement their Sports Policy as early as possible; Provincial Sports Board will recognize and affiliate the Provincial Sports Associations of the respective games and will facilitate them in organization of Provincial level tournaments, training camps and provide necessary annual funds to them. They shall also maintain complete record of the constituent units at the District and Divisional levels. Provincial Governments will also assist election Commission to conduct the elections; Provincial Sports Board will issue directions to Tehsil and District Sports Officers to register Sports Clubs and District Sports; The Provincial Sports Boards will Issue instructions to District Sports Officers to cater in their budget, the annual and special grants for their registered clubs and Associations in consultation with the DC Office.

The role of district associations in sports promotion has been, hitherto, neglected and they ought to be revived at grassroots levels; The Provincial Sports Boards shall provide training to coaches by inviting international experts or by sending them abroad for coaching whenever needed; Provincial Sports Board shall make efforts to educate the sportsmen about the negative effects of doping.