KikxNow , Digital Creator

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator At first glance, the ongoing “Dostan Football League” at the Peshawar Sports Complex looks like a long-overdue revival of football in the province. After nearly five years of silence, competitive matches have returned, organized under private sponsorship, featuring 17 teams from across Pakistan, including sides from Balochistan and departmental units. The matches are being held in a day-night format and will continue until April 30. On the surface, this checks all the boxes of a “successful event.” But if you step back and analyze it structurally, this league is less a success story and more a case study in systemic failure. It highlights a deeper issue: football—and sports in general—are surviving not because of the state, but despite it. Start with the most basic question: If a private organizer can pull this off, what has the provincial sports system been doing for the past five years? That’s not a rhetorical jab. It’s t...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator The recent decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD) to permanently disqualify Hafiz Imran Butt, former president of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWLF), and Irfan Butt, a former national coach, represents one of the most significant disciplinary actions against leadership in national sport history. This ruling, coupled with the sanctioning of weightlifter Abubakar Ghani for tampering with doping control, exposes deep-rooted institutional failures within the PWLF and raises broader questions about governance, athlete welfare, and the integrity of competitive sport in Pakistan. A thorough analysis of this issue requires examining the effects of systemic doping, identifying who suffers most, understanding the root causes, and evaluating the long-term consequences for both the federation and national sport as a whole. The CAS ADD investigation, spanning violations between September 2014 a...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator What is happening at Ratta Kalachi Cricket Stadium in Dera Ismail Khan is not an isolated construction defect. It is a textbook example of how public money is wasted through weak oversight, engineered negligence, and a system that rewards appearance over substance. This project was sold as a step toward modern sports infrastructure. Funds were released, announcements were made, and high-visibility components like digital screens and floodlights were prioritized to create an image of progress. But beneath that surface, the actual structure tells a different story. The recent collapse of iron frames and spectator shade structures after mild rain and light wind is not a minor issue. It is a structural red flag. These installations are basic components of any stadium and are expected to withstand far harsher environmental conditions. If they fail under normal weather, the conclusion is simple: either the materials were substandard,...

  Musarrat UIlah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator Hangu: Players from Hangu have urged the DG Sports and KP Sports Advisor to install a digital attendance system in Hangu to ensure administrative officers’ duties and attendance are tracked transparently. Players claim that currently, officers from Kohat are performing administrative duties in Hangu , while Hangu’s officially assigned officer is hardly performing their duties, despite having an approved annual budget and receiving a full salary. According to the players, the main issue is the manual attendance system , which allows officers to mark attendance once a week in the register and receive a full month’s salary. This practice undermines transparency and administrative accountability. Players have demanded that the Hangu District Sports Office implement a daily biometric (thumb) attendance system to maintain accurate records of officers’ duties and attendance. #Hangu #KPSports #PlayerRights #DigitalAttendance #A...

  Musarrat UIlah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator Employees of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate have not received their salaries for two months, causing severe financial and mental stress, especially during Ramadan and Eid. The provincial Sports Directorate had sent all salaries on time to the Accountant General (AG) office , so that after approval, payments could be processed through the State Bank of Pakistan . However, there is a discrepancy between the AG office and the State Bank regarding the funds. The AG office claims that the money was transferred, while the State Bank confirms that it has not been received. This delay has left employees frustrated, while the provincial Sports Directorate is under pressure, unable to respond adequately to employees visiting their offices with questions and complaints. Experts say the gap between the AG office and the State Bank highlights a failure in fund transfer tracking and accountability , directly affecting employees ...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow  , Digital Creator Pakistan’s sports crisis did not emerge overnight. It is the result of a series of decisions, miscalculations, and, more importantly, a failure to understand how deeply sports systems are tied to economic security and institutional continuity. At the center of this crisis lies one defining shift: the dismantling of departmental sports, followed by a promised revival that, so far, exists only in statements. When the government led by Imran Khan moved to end departmental sports, the decision was presented as a reform. The official narrative suggested that state institutions should not carry the burden of maintaining sports teams and that Pakistan needed to transition toward a modern, club-based model similar to those in Europe. On paper, it sounded progressive. In practice, it proved deeply disconnected from ground realities. Departmental sports in Pakistan were never just about representation or competition. They were a pa...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s sports circles, hope often arrives in the same familiar package: a delegation, a government office, a round of concerns, a round of assurances, a few photographs, and the next day’s headlines. Then the silence returns—and the system remains exactly where it was. This week, the pattern repeated once again as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association met Adviser to the Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs Taj Muhammad Khan Tarand. On paper, it looked like progress: senior officials in attendance, stakeholders raising “key issues,” a promise of support, and renewed commitments to athletes and associations. But behind the formalities sits a single, stubborn reality that has haunted KP sports for half a decade: **sports associations in the province have gone five years without government grants.** Five years is not an administrative delay. It is institutional breakdown. During these years, athlet...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator Peshawar: Provincial Minister Mina Khan Afridi has inaugurated a modern sports ground project at Government Shaheed Hasnain Sharif Higher Secondary School No. 1. While the project’s features and promises have been announced, practical and administrative aspects remain unclear. Safe walking and jogging track for women Futsal ground for youth Synthetic jogging track Basketball and volleyball courts Cricket practice area LED lights and boundary wall Key Concerns Identified: Responsibility and Funding Unclear: It is not clear whether the project will be funded by the Provincial Sports Directorate, the local government, or the Education Department. A squash court built three years ago in the same school, costing PKR 12 million, has not been handed over to anyone and remains unused, raising questions about the effective implementation of new projects. There are no details on daily maintenance, security, or usage reg...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator A video circulating widely on social media shows a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) squash player allegedly slapping an opponent during a match in Punjab. The clip has drawn significant attention and sparked debate among fans and sports communities. Some viewers claim that the referee may have acted unfairly during the match. However, according to official squash rules, physical retaliation by a player against an opponent or referee is never acceptable. Experts say the correct procedure in such cases includes: Filing a formal complaint with the tournament committee or relevant sports federation. Reporting the incident with evidence, including video footage and witness statements. Ensuring due process is followed to evaluate any alleged misconduct by officials. Under professional squash regulations, any physical aggression can result in immediate disciplinary action, including suspension, fines, or a temporary ban. The incident h...