Sports is provincial matter, NA body told

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Sports devolution to provinces has been termed as the major obstacle in expanding the sports activities in the country.These views were expressed by secretary Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Akbar Durrani during National Assembly Standing Committee meeting at the Pakistan Sports Complex premises Tuesday.Briefing the Committee members he said that centre had no powers to keep a check on the provinces. “We are totally helpless following devolution and approval of 18th amendment. We cannot even ask provinces as where they are spending sports budget and what their plans are to improve sports infrastructure in their respective province. Since sports has become a provincial matter, the centre is finding it hard to make provinces realize the importance of sports.”Akbar Durrani during his briefing to committee chairman Agha Hasan Baloch maintained that it was really unfortunate to see centre having no powers in sports matters. “Whenever a contingent goes abroad, it represents the country not the province. We compete in every game abroad under the flag of Pakistan. But here within the country, centre has got no powers to keep a check on provinces. The provincial government is free to chalk up their sports promotional programmes and centre has got no authority to keep a check on them.”The IPC secretary said whatever development funds centre had during the last five years were diverted to the Narowal Sports Complex. “It is unfortunate that such a huge amount has been diverted towards Narowal Complex. The project has already eaten up Rs 2050 million and to make it operational we would be requiring another Rs 750 million.The project is just on the border and requires almost three to four hour drive from all the major cities of Punjab for athletes to get access to the facilities. So I believe the mega project was not initiated keeping in mind all the requirements of national and international athletes.” NA Committee chairman Agha Hasan Baloch and others expressed their concern over the failing standard of national sports. Members questioned the unnecessary delay in releasing annual grants to federations. “There is a need to activate sports in the country. Those federations which have submitted their audit should be given grants.”Meanwhile Indian cricket team’s un-gamely action on the field during the one-day series against Australia echoed in the NA Standing Committee on IPC meeting with members calling for ban for involving politics in sports. One of the vocal members of the committee Iqbal Mohammad Ali proposed a stern action against Indian team. “Such an action is dangerous for sports especially for cricket.ICC should take stern action against Indian team for involving sports in politics. If the ICC has allowed this, it has to clarify under which rule India has been allowed to involve sports in politics.” He called on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to move to ICC against Indian unsporting behavior. The PCB has already written letter to the ICC in this regard.

from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2J7d0Uk