Sports Boom, Budget Silence — 117 Events in Two Years, but Where’s the Transparency?

musarrat ullah jan -

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan – Kikxnow digital content producer

For the past two years, the sports fields of Upper Dir have been alive with activity. From cricket to volleyball, football to taekwondo, boxing to athletics, hardly a month passed without a tournament or sports festival taking place.

According to official data, a total of 117 sporting events were held in 2023–24 and 2024–25, drawing thousands of athletes from across the region.

Government records show that in 2023 alone, major events included the Dir Premier League, All Pakistan Volleyball Tournament, Aman Sports Festival, Shuhada-e-Chitral Football League, Inter-School Athletics Championship, and a series of Night Tournaments. Participation ranged from 50 players in smaller competitions to as many as 2,000 in larger events.

Some festivals combined multiple disciplines under one banner. For example, the Aman Sports Festival featured cricket, football, volleyball, a marathon race, and competitions for differently-abled athletes, all running simultaneously.

Interestingly, several events planned for last year were cancelled due to heavy rains or administrative issues. Yet, the logistical arrangements — stages, equipment, banners, and even some hospitality setups — were carried forward and used for this year’s editions. Logically, this should have reduced costs. However, the budget records do not reflect any significant cuts.

The government’s event list mentions “full funding” and “sponsorships” in some cases, but there is no public record of how much was allocated to each event or how it was spent. Several tournaments show no listed sponsors at all, despite the obvious high costs of organization, security, and logistics.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Were these events actually held at the scale and size reported?

Where is the audit trail for the expenses?

How were sponsorship funds managed and accounted for?

Why Transparency Matters

Promoting sports is a welcome initiative, especially in a district like Upper Dir where opportunities for youth engagement are vital. But when public funds and sponsorship money are involved, transparency and accountability are not optional — they are essential.

The District Sports Office should publish detailed audit reports, complete expense breakdowns, and full sponsorship records for each event on its website or public notice boards. Such measures would not only build public trust but also ensure that future events are run efficiently and fairly.

#SportsTransparency #KPKSports #DirUpper #SportsBudget #AccountabilityInSports #KhyberPakhtunkhwa #SportsInvestigation #GrassrootsSports #SportsAudit #PublicFunds

 

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