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Pakistan’s Sports System Under Pressure as Funding Crunch Hits National Federations

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  KikxNow , Digital Creator Pakistan’s already fragile sports system is facing another serious setback as financial difficulties at the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) threaten to disrupt funding for more than 40 national sports federations. Reports emerging at the beginning of the new financial year suggest that the PSB is dealing with a financial shortfall of around Rs6 billion , creating uncertainty over annual and special grants normally provided to affiliated federations. The immediate concern is not simply a delay in government funding. For many federations, PSB grants are one of their few reliable sources of income. Any prolonged interruption can affect national championships, training camps, coaching programmes, equipment purchases and the preparation of athletes for international competitions. Pakistan’s sports federations operate in an environment where financial planning is already weak. Most do not have strong independent revenue streams and remain heavily dependent...
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If Federations Have No Money, How Will Pakistan Prepare for the South Asian Games?

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  KikxNow , Digital Creator Pakistan is preparing to host the South Asian Games. But a more basic question is emerging: who is funding the athletes and federations that are supposed to represent the country? ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is preparing to host the South Asian Games, with the 14th edition now scheduled to take place from 3 to 11 April 2027 . The event is expected to bring thousands of athletes and officials to Pakistan and will place the country's sporting administration under international scrutiny. But behind the preparations for a major regional sporting event lies a much more uncomfortable question. If sports federations cannot secure regular funding, how exactly does Pakistan expect to produce competitive athletes for the Games? The reported financial difficulties surrounding the Pakistan Sports Board have added to concerns already being raised by sports organisations. At the same time, there are complaints from the provincial level that some sports associations...
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Additional Charges in KP Sports Directorate Raise Questions Over Duration and Legal Authority

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator The practice of assigning Additional Charge, Acting Charge and Current Charge to employees in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate has raised questions about the applicable rules, duration of such arrangements and the authority responsible for approving their extensions. Under certain Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government service rules, Acting Charge and Current Charge are treated differently from Additional Charge, with specific conditions governing when such arrangements may be made. Similarly, the rules applicable in some KP government institutions provide a framework for Additional Charge, including provisions concerning its duration, extension and financial allowance. However, the exact rules applicable to employees of the Sports Directorate need to be established from the service rules, notifications and instructions specifically governing the Directorate . The key questions are therefore: • For how long can an employ...
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Additional Charges in KP Sports Directorate: Five-Year Record Sought

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator A five-year record has been sought from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate regarding employees performing duties against more than one post under Additional Charge, Current Charge and Acting Charge arrangements. An application filed under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act, 2013, seeks a complete list of all officers and employees currently holding such charges in the Sports Directorate. The requested information includes each employee’s substantive post, BPS, additional or acting post, date of assuming the charge, relevant notification or office order number, the authority that approved the charge, and the initial period for which the charge was granted. The application also seeks details of all notifications and orders issued during the last five years regarding Additional Charge, Current Charge and Acting Charge, along with records of all extensions , including their duration and the authority that app...
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Sports Directorate Officials Inspect Swabi Hockey Turf

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator The hockey turf installed at the Swabi Sports Complex has reportedly developed damage at several locations, while problems have also been reported with the water supply system used to maintain the turf. To assess the situation, officials from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate recently visited the Swabi Sports Complex and prepared a report on the condition of the turf. According to sources, in view of the condition of the turf, the Directorate has also sent the turf-laying machine to Swabi. Interestingly, the turf was installed around two years ago, and the machine used for laying the turf is also reportedly available there. The machine was sent from Peshawar. The key question now is whether the officials' report identifies why the turf deteriorated and who is responsible for the damage . If public funds were used for the project, the findings should be made public and responsibility should be clearly established. ...
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New Sports DG Provides Uniforms and Weapons to Security Staff

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator The newly appointed Director General of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate has provided uniforms to security guards, along with two Kalashnikov rifles for security duties. It is certainly a positive step to ensure that security personnel are properly identifiable. At the DG Sports office, Class-IV employees have also reportedly been dressed in white clothes, black waistcoats, black slippers and Chitrali caps. That may look good for discipline and identification, but there is an important question for the DG. Sir, please do not take it the wrong way, but security is a professional job. Most of these Class-IV employees reportedly have not received proper weapons or security training. If, God forbid, an incident occurs, who will be responsible? The Sports Directorate already has permanent employees who were recruited for security duties. However, many of them are reportedly working on other posts or performing dutie...
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Players’ Lives at Risk at Shah Tahmas Football Stadium as Exposed Electrical Wires Cause Electric Shocks

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator PESHAWAR: Football players at Shah Tahmas Football Stadium in Peshawar have raised serious concerns over exposed and unsafe electrical wires inside the stadium, claiming that several players have received electric shocks during matches and training sessions. According to the players, electricity wires supplying power to the stadium lights are exposed at several locations. In some areas, water also accumulates near these wires, creating an even more dangerous situation. The players said that while chasing the ball or running across the ground, they have accidentally come into contact with the exposed wires and received electric shocks on several occasions. Despite repeated complaints, the players claim that no effective action has been taken to address the problem. Around 100 football players visit the stadium every day for training and playing. The players fear that if the exposed wires and waterlogged areas are not made ...
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Five Years On: Regi Sports Complex Mega Project Still Awaits Groundbreaking

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator PESHAWAR: Five years after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced plans to transform the Regi Sports Complex into a modern sports facility, the proposed projects, including a football stadium and swimming pool, have yet to move into construction. In 2021, then Sports Secretary Abid Majeed announced that the detailed designs and 3D models for the proposed football stadium and swimming pool had been completed. He also stated that 3D models, animations and cost estimates for other facilities were being prepared for approval and funding. The announcement indicated that once the projects were approved and funds allocated, construction and development of modern sports facilities at Regi Sports Complex would follow. Five years later, however, the football stadium has not been built, the swimming pool remains unconstructed, and there is no clear evidence of major progress on the other facilities announced at the time. The pro...
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Why Are Pakistani Athletes Disappearing Abroad? Why Are Sports Authorities Silent?

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator A troubling question is emerging in Pakistani sport, one that can no longer be ignored: Why are athletes who travel abroad with national teams sometimes choosing not to return with their delegations after competitions? In recent days, reports of Pakistani athletes separating from their teams abroad and failing to return home have once again raised serious questions about the country’s sports system, athlete welfare and the responsibility of sports federations. Following the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Pakistani boxer Qudratullah reportedly did not return to Pakistan with the national delegation. Police Scotland also confirmed investigations involving athletes from different countries who did not return with their teams after the Games. There are now also reports that two Pakistani futsal players travelling with the team in the United States left the delegation and travelled towards Mexico , and that they were later deporte...
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Two Years Later, KP Sports Directorate Answers an Old RTI With the Wrong Question: What Happened to the Missing Information?

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  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator PESHAWAR: A delayed RTI response from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate has raised serious questions about transparency, accountability and the department’s handling of official information. The RTI application was submitted on April 9, 2024 . At that time, the post of Director Development was held by a different officer . The information sought related to the position, the officer holding it, salary details and issues concerning sports development schemes. Instead of providing a clear record of the officer who was holding the post when the RTI application was filed, the department’s response, issued almost two years later, identifies Munir Abbas , a Grade-18 officer who is currently holding additional charge of the Grade-19 post of Director Development. That creates the central question: Why has the department provided information about the current Director Development when the RTI application specifically dates b...
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