General Games or General Confusion? Inside Peshawar Sports Complex Where Questions Outnumber Games

 

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan  , KikxNow , Digital Creator

At the Peshawar Sports Complex, various sporting events are scheduled from 7 to 10 June. Officially, they are being promoted as “General National Games.” But among sports circles, a different name is circulating more frequently: “General Confusion.”

The reason is simple. Even at this stage, it is still unclear who is participating, under what criteria, and for what exact purpose these competitions are being held.

Athletes Left in the Dark

The most affected stakeholders are the athletes themselves. Many of them currently stand in a situation similar to a student waiting outside an examination hall without knowing which subject the paper is for.

Different sports associations are issuing conflicting statements.

The badminton federation says this is not their official event.

Table tennis circles claim it is actually their National Junior Championship, which has been taken over and branded by the provincial government.

Volleyball stakeholders present yet another version.

The result is predictable: athletes still do not know whether they are participating in General Games, a junior championship, or an event whose identity is still being negotiated behind closed doors.

Unclear Participation Criteria

Another major question is the number of participating departments, whether public or private.

So far, no clear list or official framework has been released. If such documentation exists, it appears to be locked away in administrative files rather than shared with stakeholders.

Associations and the Politics of Visibility

Within sports circles, a growing perception is emerging: weaker or less active associations are using this event to inflate their annual performance reports.

After months of inactivity, a few days of participation are being converted into paperwork achievements, with photographs and attendance records used as substitutes for actual sporting development.

On the other hand, several active and nationally successful associations argue that they are being sidelined despite proven performance and medal-winning records.

Their question is direct:

If performance is the criterion, then where is the consistent standard? And if another criterion exists, what exactly is it?

45 Associations, No Clear Selection Logic

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reportedly has around 45 to 47 sports associations. Yet there is still no publicly available policy explaining why only selected sports such as volleyball, athletics, squash, table tennis, and badminton were included.

This absence of clarity has created a sense of exclusion among many associations, which feel deliberately or systematically ignored.

Funding Complaints and Governance Questions

Complaints are not limited to participation.

Multiple associations have been raising concerns for years about the non-availability of grants-in-aid. According to them, funding decisions appear to depend more on access and influence than on transparent criteria or institutional need.

If this perception is accurate, the issue is no longer just financial allocation. It becomes a governance and transparency problem.

The Taekwondo Controversy

One of the more unusual cases involves taekwondo.

Official records suggest that the Sports Directorate already has a designated coach. However, in sports circles, it is widely discussed that a volunteer coach is actively training athletes and even contributing to operational arrangements.

If this is true, it raises two fundamental questions:

What is the actual role of the official government-appointed coach?

If a volunteer system is effectively running the program, what purpose does the formal structure serve?

There are also claims that the official coach is regularly marking attendance but is rarely seen on the training ground. If accurate, this points toward serious gaps in administrative oversight.

When Administration Becomes the Main Game

At times, it appears that in the Peshawar Sports Complex, the most competitive activity is not on the field but in offices—where files, influence networks, recommendations, and administrative control shape outcomes more than athletic performance.

The issue is not whether the General Games are being held.

The real issue is whether the sports system reflects transparency, merit, and equal opportunity.

If associations are included, the criteria must be clear.

If associations are excluded, the reasons must be documented.

If funds are distributed, records must be accessible.

If coaches are appointed, their performance must be visible and accountable.

Otherwise, a troubling reality remains: while athletes compete on the field, the real competition takes place elsewhere—and in that game, sport itself is often the loser.

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