KP Sports Policy 2018: Eight Years On, Are Its Promises Still Trapped on Paper?

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan, KikxNow , Digital Creator

When the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approved the KP Sports Policy 2018, it was presented as a roadmap to transform the province's sporting landscape. The policy promised grassroots development, transparent governance, athlete welfare, modern infrastructure, private sector participation and institutional reforms. It directed all concerned departments to implement the policy "in letter and spirit."

Nearly eight years later, however, a fundamental question deserves public attention.

A comparison between the policy's commitments and the current situation raises serious questions about implementation, accountability and governance within the Directorate General of Sports.

The policy clearly states that eligible provincial sports associations should receive annual Grant-in-Aid after fulfilling prescribed criteria. These grants were intended to support competitions, coaching camps and player development.

The key questions are:

How many associations have received annual grants since 2018?

How much funding has been released?

Which associations qualified, and on what basis?

If grants have not been released regularly, how are sports associations expected to organize competitions, identify talent and sustain sporting activities?

Without consistent financial support, the policy's objective of strengthening grassroots sports becomes difficult to achieve.

One of the major reforms proposed in the policy was the registration, regulation and categorization of private sports facilities.

The Directorate was expected to develop standards, inspect facilities and classify them into different categories based on infrastructure and services.

Nearly eight years later, several important questions remain unanswered.

Is there a publicly available database of registered private sports facilities?

How many facilities have been categorized under the proposed grading system?

Has any inspection or monitoring mechanism been implemented?

If these reforms have not materialized, one of the policy's major governance objectives remains incomplete.

The policy also promised the establishment of an Independent Arbitration Council to resolve disputes between the Sports Directorate, sports associations and other stakeholders.

Such a body was designed to improve transparency and reduce conflicts within the sports sector.

Has this council ever been constituted?

If it exists, who are its members?

How many disputes has it resolved?

If it has never been established, why has one of the policy's institutional reforms remained unimplemented?

The policy leaves little room for ambiguity.

Sports grounds and sports facilities were to be used exclusively for sporting purposes.

Yet complaints continue to emerge from districts including Peshawar, Kohat and Bannu, where sports complexes and grounds are reportedly used for vehicle parking and other non-sporting activities.

If these reports are accurate, they contradict the Directorate's own policy.

The obvious question is whether monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are functioning effectively.

The policy encourages organizing tournaments in the names of distinguished national and international athletes to inspire young players and preserve sporting history.

After eight years, the public deserves to know:

How many official tournaments have been organized under the names of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's sporting legends?

Where is the record of such initiatives?

Recognizing sporting heroes is more than symbolism. It helps create role models for future generations.

Another commitment in the policy was the production of documentaries highlighting the lives, struggles and achievements of national sports personalities.

These documentaries were intended to encourage young athletes and strengthen sports culture across the province.

How many documentaries have been produced by the Directorate since 2018?

Are they publicly available?

If not, another important objective of the policy appears to remain unrealized.

The policy envisioned introducing Sports Science as an academic discipline and ultimately establishing a dedicated Sports University.

Almost eight years later, several important questions arise.

Has a feasibility study been completed?

Has funding been allocated?

Has any implementation timeline been announced?

Or does the Sports University remain only a vision on paper?

The policy repeatedly emphasizes attracting private investment into sports infrastructure and facilities.

Private investors, former athletes and sports organizations were expected to become active partners in sports development.

What practical incentives have been introduced?

How many public-private partnership projects have been launched?

What investment has actually entered the sports sector under this policy?

Without measurable progress, the policy's vision of private sector participation remains difficult to evaluate.

The policy requires the Directorate to maintain complete records of sports facilities, clubs and associations.

These records are fundamental to transparency and accountability.

Are these records publicly accessible?

Can athletes, associations and citizens review them?

If not, transparency remains an unfinished commitment.

The KP Sports Policy 2018 is not a weak document.

In fact, it is one of the most comprehensive provincial sports policies produced in Pakistan. It addresses athlete welfare, grassroots development, sports science, women's participation, infrastructure, governance, legal reforms and institutional accountability.

The challenge is not the quality of the document.

The challenge is implementation.

After nearly eight years, the Directorate General of Sports owes athletes, associations and the public a comprehensive implementation report.

Such a report should clearly explain:

• Which policy commitments have been fully implemented.
• Which remain incomplete.
• What budget has been spent.
• What measurable outcomes have been achieved.
• What timeline exists for completing the remaining reforms.

Policies are judged not by the promises they contain but by the results they deliver.

The KP Sports Policy 2018 set ambitious goals for transforming sports across the province. Whether those goals have been achieved is no longer a question that can be answered with speeches or policy documents alone.

It requires evidence, transparency and accountability.

Until then, one question will continue to echo across the sporting community:

Has the KP Sports Policy 2018 become a roadmap for reform, or simply another government document left on the shelf?

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