BEYOND THE FINISH LINE: Is Bureaucracy Killing KP’s Sports Potential?

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator

PESHAWAR: While the playing fields of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are often celebrated for producing world-class talent, a different kind of game is being played within the corridors of power—one where the rules change every few months and the players in charge rarely stay long enough to finish the match.

The provincial government recently took a landmark step in the Department of Commerce Education and Management Sciences by decreeing that leadership roles (BPS-19) must stay within their own professional cadre. It was a victory for institutional expertise. Yet, just across the administrative divide, the KP Sports Directorate remains trapped in a cycle of "bureaucratic tourism" that critics say is stifling the future of the province’s youth.

For years, the Sports Directorate has been treated as a "transit station" for the Provincial Management Service (PMS) and other non-related cadres. Officers with no background in sports science, athlete physiology, or stadium management arrive at the directorate for a two-year stint.

"Sports administration is not a generic desk job," says one veteran coach on the condition of anonymity. "You aren't just moving files; you are managing human potential. When a director spends their first six months just learning what a 'sports federation' is, the athletes have already lost a season."

This "revolving door" policy creates a vacuum of institutional memory. By the time an outsider understands the complexities of the KP Sports Policy 2018, their transfer orders are already being signed. The result is a perpetual state of "Day One," where long-term projects are abandoned in favor of short-term optics.

The most glaring casualty of this system is the KP Sports Policy 2018. On paper, it is a sophisticated roadmap for reform. In practice, it is a ghost document. Because the leadership changes so frequently, every new director brings a personal interpretation of priorities.

Development funds are often diverted to "one-off" events—tournaments that provide good photo opportunities but do nothing to fix the crumbling infrastructure or the lack of specialized coaching at the grassroots level.

The core of the frustration lies in the sidelining of the "Sports Cadre." The directorate is home to dozens of professionals who have risen from the field—former athletes, seasoned organizers, and experts in physical education.

These individuals understand the unique challenges of KP’s diverse districts, from the high-altitude needs of Chitral to the untapped talent in the merged tribal districts. Yet, they are consistently passed over for leadership roles in favor of generalist bureaucrats who treat the posting as a temporary career stop.

The argument for internal promotion is not just about fairness; it is about accountability.

"An outsider knows they will be gone in 24 months. They have no skin in the game," explains a former provincial athlete. "An insider knows that if they fail to maintain a stadium today, they will still be here to answer for it five years from now."

 

The provincial government has already admitted, through its decision in the Commerce Education sector, that field experience is irreplaceable. The question now being asked in gymnasiums and stadiums across Peshawar is: Why is sports being left behind?

If the government is serious about the "Youth Empowerment" slogan it frequently champions, it must professionalize the administration that governs it. This means: Ending the practice of "deputation" for senior sports slots.

Empowering the internal Sports Cadre to take ownership of BPS-19 and BPS-20 positions.

Linking tenures to the successful implementation of the 2018 Policy.

Sports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not merely a hobby; it is a vital tool for social cohesion, health, and national pride. However, as long as the Directorate is treated as a training ground for unrelated bureaucrats, the province’s athletes will continue to start every race with a self-imposed handicap.

The Commerce Education model has shown the way. Now, the government must decide if it has the political will to let the experts take the field.

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