The Empty Arenas: How the Cradle of Sports Died in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan KikxNow – Digital Creator

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was not just a province; it was the "cradle of sports." It was the land that gifted Pakistan its legends in hockey, football, boxing, athletics, squash, and weightlifting. But today, the roar of the crowd has faded, replaced by an unsettling silence. The tradition is not just struggling—it is, by all accounts, on its deathbed.

The victim in this tragic story is the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association (KPOA), which represents 38 provincial sports organizations. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the KP government, citing financial constraints, has failed to release a single rupee of funding.

This isn't just an administrative failure; it's a eulogy for the dreams of a generation.

The neglect of KP's athletes stands in stark contrast to the support pouring into other provinces, exposing a deep-seated crisis of priority. According to data . Punjab government gives Granted $20 million (PKR) to its Olympic Association. And sindh government Released $100 million (PKR) for various sports events, including Special Olympics. According to the data available Balochistan Secured necessary funds to successfully host the 34th National Games. While kp province Olympic Association is "mute and deaf"—left with no grants, no programs, and only empty promises of "it will be done."

The KPOA, once the soul of provincial sports, is now a mere paper office. There are no annual meetings, no training camps for players, and no preparation for national or international events. Athletes often fund their own competitions, begging for reimbursements and relying on personal references.

Every year, KP’s 38 registered sports associations are supposed to receive an annual grant of at least five hundred thousand rupees (PKR 500,000). This may sound modest, but for smaller sports, it is the very "oxygen" that keeps them alive.

The devastating reality? No association has received a complete grant since 2020. Files detailing the requests lie gathering dust in government offices while athletes sweat and sacrifice on their own dime.

This raises an uncomfortable question for the ruling party, which champions itself on integrity: Where is the allocated sports budget going?

Is the money vanishing into "bogus events and closed-door approvals"? Why is the Ministry of Sports hiding the details from the public? When the provincial Olympic Association cannot support its athletes, how can the nation expect medals?

The biggest cost of this budget freeze is borne by the athletes themselves. Sports require years of preparation, training, specific nutrition, and coaching. When provincial support is suddenly cut off, courage collapses, and futures are canceled.

• Talent Migration: Many skilled athletes have quit, forced to find work as laborers. The most talented are increasingly representing other provinces or private organizations just to survive and compete—a fact that is both shameful and tragic for KP.
• Coaching Crisis: While fields lie desolate, coaches are sitting idle in their offices. The lack of funding has not only crippled the KPOA but also ended essential competitions at the district, tehsil, and educational levels.
• Buying Their Own Uniforms: Athletes, once state-sponsored heroes, are now forced to purchase their own uniforms and shoes.

The government is prioritizing expensive, ill-conceived tournaments for the over-age group (U-23, U-22), which are seen as a "waste of money" because these players rarely translate into national or international success. The true grassroots development is being ignored entirely.

The field is emptying; the talent pool is drying up. If this indifference continues, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s presence on the international sporting stage will vanish entirely within a few years.The sports fraternity is demanding a full accounting:

• Who is obstructing the release of the KPOA's funding?
• Has the Provincial Assembly ever held the government accountable for this issue?
• How can 38 registered associations survive without any means of support?

This situation requires more than a simple "inquiry." It requires a comprehensive audit of the sports budget. Playing with sports funding is playing with the dreams of the youth.

It is time for the KP government to be transparent, to restore the KPOA, and to provide its young athletes with the facilities that are their right. Otherwise, the heroes we expect to win medals will simply walk away from the arena, and the eulogy for sports will be complete.

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