Country’s sports require total revamping: Ahmad Akif

ISLAMABAD: The government will have to take some major and far reaching steps to help streamline sports development in the country, claimed Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, a senior member of the Prime Minister Inspection Commission (PMIC) who held inaugural meeting with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) officials Wednesday.“Sports in the country required a total revamping as nothing is going right for all other sports barring cricket. No sport in Pakistan has got the required finance to run their programmes. Cricket is the only game in the country that has got required financial backing and sports required in this modern era to run the game professionally.” Syed Abu Ahmad Akif said that government would have to take some major steps to put the things on right track. “No small measures would be enough. What Pakistan sports require is some major shake up in the system to put the things on right track.” The meeting was attended by relevant PSB officials including acting Director General Khaqan Babar, Deputy Director Generals Mansoor Khan and Azam Dar. The PSB officials told PMIC that they had no powers. “It is the Ministry of IPC which exert all the powers. We don’t have any power to bring in changes in the system. We are helpless,” the PSB officials said.They said that PSB was already under heavy investigation from all corners. “Be it NAB, FIA or Audit General of Pakistan. These days we are only busy to provide them all relevant information which we are doing on daily basis.” The Prime Minister Commission was critical of construction of mega Narowal Sports Complex so close to Indian border. “The decision to construct the stadium so close to border is void of wisdom,” the members claim.The former IPC secretary Syed Abu Ahmad Akif said that the Commission members were briefed on all the important aspects. “This was a sort of introductory meeting where we got all the information we needed.”He said that now ToR would be framed before framing proposals for Prime Minister Imran Khan consumption. “I have to admit here that there is an overlap of powers and mandate. The Commission has almost the same powers that Task Force has got.”

from The News International - Sports http://bit.ly/2SLSOHX