KP spending Rs22,402m to develop sports infrastructure

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has been spending billions of rupees for the promotion of sports and developing international standard sports infrastructure including laying of 11 hockey turfs, seven separate gymnasiums for female and construction of three International Cricket Council (ICC) certified cricket venues.

The record is set by allocating Rs22402 million for the sports sector, which ensures a bright future for the players of the province as per the directives of the Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir and Secretary Sports Abid Majeed.

Laying of hockey turfs in different districts of the province have been approved in several districts which will increase the number of hockey turfs in KP to 11, which is itself a unique honor as KP becomes the leading province with more hockey turfs facilities.

Hockey turf at Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex, Charsadda and country’s historical institution Islamia College Peshawar have been completed with floodlight facilities.

Work on hockey turfs at Kohat and D. I. Khan, and Swat are in the final stages, while approval has been given to lay hockey turfs in Abbottabad,

Nowshera, Bajaur, Khyber as well as changing of hockey turf in Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium Peshawar with an added facility of installing floodlights. The turfs at Mardan, Bannu and Peshawar are operational.

In the first phase, a huge amount of Rs828 million has been allocated for hockey turfs in different districts at a cost of Rs87 million on Charsadda turf, Rs91 million on Islamia College, Rs99 million on Swat, Rs91 million on Kohat and Rs91 million on D. I. Khan, Rs115 on Abbottabad, Rs123 million on Nowshera, Rs130 million of Bajaur, Rs130 million of Khyber. Almost 70 percent of work on Swat, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan has been completed while Khyber, Abbottabad, Bajaur, Nowshera have recently been approved.

As desired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, for the first time in the country’s history 07 separate gymnasiums for women are being constructed in each region at a cost of Rs700 million to provide equal facilities to women, DG Sports KP Asfandyar Khan Khattak said when contacted.

He said that the first and gigantic international standard cricket Stadiums would be constructed at Faizabad, in Kalam. Work on state-of-the-art Arbab Niaz and Hayatabad Cricket Stadiums are currently in progress at a total cost of Rs1.90 billion and Rs994 million respectively as per the requirement of PCB and International Cricket Council (ICC).

To enjoy the pleasant weather in summer, a sports ground is being constructed in Saidu Sharif, a beautiful area of Swat besides cricket stadium in Kalam, he said. It would help in bringing international cricket activities to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he informed.

Answering a question, he said, for player welfare Chief Minister Mahmood Khan announced a fixed stipend for the 1150 male and female athletes who won gold, silver and bronze medals.

The gold medal will be awarded Rs10,000, silver Rs8000 and bronze Rs5000 Per Month for which the govt has allocated Rs234 million annually. He disclosed that KP govt has launched construction projects in all districts for the promotion of sports and bright future of athletes. Most of the projects are in the final stages.

The regional headquarters for women in each district namely Swat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Mardan, Abbottabad and Peshawar will be built with a total cost of Rs700 million. He further said that Rs2204 million has been allocated for various projects in the merged districts of which Rs348 million for Bajaur, Rs70 million for Mohmand, Rs208 million has been earmarked for Waziristan, he said.