Shadow Games: How Sports Complexes Turn into Rent-a-Halls

musarrat ullah jan -

 

The internet was abuzz with a strange revelation. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Peshawar Coaching and Training Center, following a Right to Information application, had posted its 2025 activities. But what the website revealed was not a display of sporting excellence but a strange combination of badminton trials, army competitions, intelligence seminars, and even college tournaments – all under the banner of "sports activities."

The virtual trail, laid bare now, told a story far different from the center's mission. January experienced badminton trials and cricket team stays, with payments in cash changing hands but undisclosed. February became a rental point, complete with an Intelligence Bureau seminar, military competitions, Cantonment Board games, and even Shaheed Benazir Bhutto College tournaments. The hostel was used as a revolving door, which hosted blind players as well as military personnel.

 

March's records were no less confounding. Under-22 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate volleyball tournaments were inaccurately stated as Under-21 and dated accordingly, but hostel and gymnasium rental fees were left hidden. PSB Peshawar Center, intended for developing sporting abilities, had appeared to have shifted to a business-friendly event ground at the cost of its objective.

Rumors spread. Had the center reduced itself to a facilitator, a go-between for rental of facilities? Where were the grassroots programs, the development of athletes? Lack of openness regarding payments kept speculations afloat. Was it bureaucratic bungling, or something worse?

The electronic files, intended to shed light, had instead unleashed a Pandora's box. Citizens were calling for explanations. How could an institution of sport stray so far from its mandate? Where was the responsibility? The revelation ignited a national debate regarding the condition of sports administration, the value of openness, and the necessity to maintain the genuine spirit of sporting development. The question lingered: would this electronic revelation bring about reform, or would the shadow games persist?

#kikxnow #sports #psb #peshawar #pakistan #games #sportsnews #whereisports #18amendment #accountability #transparency #sportsadministration #corruption #righttoinformation #publicrecords #mismanagement #athletedevelopment #pakistansports

 

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