Zoom Meetings, Silent Officials and Sports Politics: What the KP Sports Directorate Meeting Revealed About the State of Sports Governance

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator

The recent online meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate was supposed to be a routine consultation with sports associations and district sports officials. Instead, it became a revealing snapshot of the opportunities, weaknesses and contradictions that continue to define sports administration in the province.

Chaired by Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tashfeen Haider, the meeting brought together senior officials of the Sports Directorate, Regional Sports Officers, District Sports Officers and representatives of several sports associations. However, the meeting also exposed some uncomfortable realities. Several influential district sports officers did not attend at all, many officials remained silent throughout the session and only a handful of associations actively participated.

The meeting raised an important question: if the key stakeholders themselves are disengaged from discussions about the future of sports, how can meaningful reforms be expected?

During the meeting, the DG Sports highlighted several achievements and future plans. He said that the department had provided financial support and equipment worth Rs 9.6 million to athletes participating in various sports and had distributed Rs 62.5 million in stipends and support to athletes representing Pakistan at the international level.

He also spoke about preparations for the National Junior Athletics Championship 2026, the development of a new sports policy, and plans to include competitions in eighteen different sports disciplines under the new PC-1.

On paper, these are impressive figures and ambitious plans. Yet the discussion quickly made it clear that money alone is not the province's biggest challenge. The deeper problem lies in governance.

For years, sports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have struggled with parallel associations, disputes over legitimacy, allegations of favouritism in team selections and poor coordination between government institutions and sports bodies.The meeting demonstrated that these issues remain unresolved.

Throughout the session, participants repeatedly raised concerns about selections and representation.

The DG Sports himself acknowledged that complaints regularly reach the department alleging that certain athletes are selected because they belong to influential groups or have connections within associations.

His call for associations to end internal disputes and think about the welfare of athletes was well received. However, such appeals have been made repeatedly over the years.

The uncomfortable truth is that sports governance cannot be fixed merely through speeches and good intentions. Structural problems require structural solutions.

Without transparent systems of accountability and clear rules regarding the role of associations and government departments, mistrust will continue to dominate the sporting landscape.

Perhaps the most significant moment of the meeting came when a District Sports Officer insisted on speaking and made a startling revelation.

 

According to the officer, certain individuals organize low-level club competitions against weak opponents and later present them as "ranking events." They then allegedly use political influence and approach Members of Provincial Assembly to pressure authorities into releasing financial assistance.

The disclosure was extraordinary because it openly questioned the integrity of parts of the sports ecosystem.

The DG Sports attempted to move the discussion forward, jokingly remarking:

"Don't go further. People will become upset."

The comment may have been light-hearted, but it inadvertently highlighted a serious issue. Some of the most sensitive topics in sports governance are precisely the ones that are rarely discussed openly.

Whether it concerns ranking systems, funding requests or political influence, these are issues that deserve scrutiny rather than silence.

The meeting also highlighted another problem: institutional disengagement.

While around forty-nine participants joined the online session, most officials remained silent.

One official reportedly positioned his camera in such a way that his face was not visible. Another received a phone call and walked away during the meeting while remaining logged in. Several powerful district sports officers did not participate at all.

These incidents may appear minor, but collectively they reflect an attitude that raises concerns about seriousness and accountability.

Sports administration requires active participation, strategic planning and engagement. Silence and absenteeism send the opposite message.

Participation from sports associations was equally disappointing.

Nearly forty associations had reportedly received funding from the Sports Directorate before the COVID-19 pandemic, yet only a handful participated in the meeting.

Some representatives complained that associations are often ignored and are not adequately involved in decision-making.

Do associations believe that these meetings will produce tangible outcomes?

Or has a trust deficit developed between the Sports Directorate and the associations it seeks to regulate and support?

The Secretary of the Provincial Olympic Association, Zulfiqar Butt, offered a practical perspective. He said his preference is for physical meetings rather than virtual sessions because face-to-face discussions allow stakeholders to openly discuss issues and reach workable solutions.

Not every problem can be solved through a Zoom link.

Sometimes progress requires people to sit across the table from each other and engage honestly.

 

Smaller Sports Fighting for Attention

Representatives from cycling, swimming, handball and other sports raised concerns that only a few disciplines receive significant attention and sponsorship opportunities.

This complaint is neither new nor unique to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In Pakistan, a small number of sports often dominate public attention and financial support, while dozens of other disciplines struggle for survival.

Participants emphasized the need to revive sports academies, invest in grassroots development and focus on talent identification at the nursery level.

Their argument was straightforward: without investing in youth development, long-term success at national and international competitions will remain largely accidental.

Another important issue raised during the meeting concerned sports infrastructure.

Officials from the hockey association suggested that before constructing facilities or preparing PC-1 projects, authorities should consult the relevant associations to determine which sports are actually played in specific areas and what facilities are genuinely required.

Across Pakistan, there are examples of sports facilities that remain underutilized because they were built without proper planning or consultation.

Infrastructure alone does not guarantee development. Effective planning and stakeholder involvement are equally important.

One of the most striking moments came when a female squash player highlighted the lack of basic facilities for women athletes, including rest areas and washrooms.

It was a reminder that despite discussions involving millions of rupees and ambitious policies, many athletes continue to struggle with fundamental issues.

The fact that women athletes still have to request basic amenities illustrates the gap between policy aspirations and ground realities.

The session lasted approximately one hour and twenty minutes.

Ironically, minor earthquake tremors were reportedly felt just minutes after the meeting concluded.

Yet the real tremors had already occurred during the discussion itself.

The meeting exposed a sports system that is simultaneously ambitious and fragmented.

There were announcements of new policies and funding, but also admissions of internal disputes and allegations of political pressure.

There were calls for unity, but evidence of disengagement and mistrust.

There were discussions about international standards, while athletes still highlighted basic infrastructural deficiencies.

The biggest challenge facing sports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not a shortage of funds. It is the absence of a coherent, transparent and accountable system of governance.

 

Unless issues such as parallel associations, political interference, weak accountability and poor coordination are addressed, new policies and meetings alone will not transform the province's sporting landscape.

The future of sports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa depends not on how many meetings are held, but on whether stakeholders are prepared to confront uncomfortable truths and implement meaningful reforms.

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