Swat Sports Funds: Millions Spent, Details Missing

musarrat ullah jan -

 

The peaceful Swat valley where the sound of the mountains used to blend with the thunder of sports was suddenly plunged into an eerie silence. A local reporter, reported a horrific gap in sports expenditure.

In 2023-24, Swat's sporting activity was active. The echoes of the Deputy Commissioner Swat Badminton Tournament rattled the hills, while volleyball and hockey tournaments won the hearts of the locals. World Tourism Day Hockey Match gave a chance to the community to rejoice their sporting heroes. Community Sports Festivals made the valley a venue of festive activity.

But this euphoria had a sinister secret behind the spending of money. More than 3.5 million rupees were incurred, but none of the details of these expenditures were revealed. A treadmill machine, football uniforms, and fitting an intriguing SMD screen were the items that found space in the report, but the detail was strikingly missing.

In 2024-25, silence reigned. Sports funds were drastically cut, and the lively buzz of sports in the valley died down. Events such as the KP Inter-District School and College Cricket Tournament, the Football Independence Cup, and the Weightlifting Championship were organized, but without the passion of the past year.

Even global events like Amir Khan's 7th Heroes International Championship in Bangkok failed to plug this gap. Worse still, most importantly, the report did not reveal how many sportsmen and women from Swat attained national and international successes.

The minute reduction in the number of staff in the sporting department, from 160 to 159, also raised some eyebrows. The abrupt decline in sports spending in Swat created doubts regarding sports promotion priorities. The transparency over the expenditure by individual teams and events pointed to the need for audits and accountability.

Journalists  expose shattered the silence that had descended upon the world of sports in the Swat valley. A silence that insisted on answers and openness. Citizens of Swat demanded accountability and openness about funds to be utilized for their sporting icons.

#SwatSports #RTI #SportsFunds #KPKSports #SportsPromotion #BudgetAnalysis #TransparencyMatters #Accountability #SportsDevelopment #PakistanSports #LocalJournalism #CommunitySports #SportsNews #SwatValley

 

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