KikxNow , Digital Creator

  Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator There are several transfers and appointments that have taken place at the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the question has been raised all over again: are we really moving ahead with the cause of sports, or have the administrative choices been affected by likes, dislikes, and influence? This question is quite simple, but the consequences are enormous. Why does the requirement to appoint persons on deputation keep arising so frequently? And if the requirement does exist, how are the appointees selected on the basis of policy, say, District Sports Officers? On paper, it is all right to give deputation if there is specific expert knowledge required in a given area, which the department itself does not possess. There should be some gain from the experience of the officer on deputation. But when this becomes a regular affair, as in being directly involved in sports-related activities, activities at th...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator Peshawar The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Under-21 Games will kick off on January 20 in Peshawar, bringing together more than 5,000 male and female athletes and officials from across the province. Officials are calling it the largest Under-21 sports event in KP’s history. Director General Sports KP, Tashfeen Haider, shared details during a media briefing at the Peshawar Sports Complex. He said the games will feature competitions in 53 disciplines, including 35 for men and 18 for women. Director Sports Operations Jamshed Baloch, Project Director Arbab Faiz, Chief Coach Shafqatullah, and Administrator Yousaf Afridi were also present. According to the DG Sports, the opening ceremony will be held at the historic Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, where Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi is expected to inaugurate the event. He added that, on the special instructions of Sports Adviser Taj Muhammad Tarand and under the supervisio...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator The incident of a Kabaddi player being part of the Indian nation is not a mere emotional/controversial episode. To initially perceive, it would appear to be only a matter of a shirt, a flag, and a photo. An in-depth analysis would show that it is much more, being a question mark on sports administration in the nation, the credibility of sports federations, and sports administration in the sports country. The move by the Pakistan Kabaddi Federation to hold an emergency General Council meeting seems like a much-needed step, but what remains to be seen is whether this is a response to the situation and a starting point for self-accountability. The fact is, this is not the first instance, and if changes are not made to the system, this will not be the last. The very first thing that is necessary to keep in mind here is the nature of the incident. This is a national-class player, with background ties to Pakistan, playing for the Ind...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator Administrative approval has been granted for a major development project aimed at upgrading the Wazir Bagh Tehsil Ground in Peshawar. The project will be completed at an estimated cost of more than Rs 797 million. Under the approved plan, the ground will be equipped with modern sports and public facilities. These include a state of the art futsal ground, a cricket practice academy, basketball and volleyball courts, walkways, and a dedicated parking area. The project also covers the construction of an improved drainage system, stairways, and a tube well. In addition, a new lavatory block will be built, while the existing pavilion and office will be renovated. Internal water and electricity supply systems will be upgraded, a solar power system will be installed, and the boundary wall will be strengthened. LED lights will also be installed to improve visibility and safety. Officials say the project will promote sports activities...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator Despite claims of promoting sports, tensions have escalated in Bannu between local sports associations and the Regional Sports Office. The dispute intensified when several young athletes were excluded from trials, prompting protests from various associations, who also reached out to their local members of the provincial assembly. Recently, Nilofar Begum, a female member of the Provincial Assembly from Bannu, formally wrote to the DG Sports demanding that experts from local associations be included in the trials and training programs. However, there has been no response from the DG Sports so far. Meanwhile, representatives of some associations expressed concern over threats from the Regional Sports Officer. They revealed that players were instructed to attend training despite most under-21 athletes returning late from schools and colleges. Due to security concerns in Bannu, parents are reluctant to let their children travel late...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator The tartan track at Peshawar Sports Complex has turned out to be the slowest, costliest, and mysterious construction in the province. It is a track where athletes learn patience instead of sprints, and by the time it's ready, the national games are over. And that's not all: KP Sports Directorate seems to have lost their microphones, so that nobody is saying a word. Here’s the story: athletes were told, “Give us one month, the tartan track will be ready, practice will happen, and medals will follow.” One month turned into two, two months into six, and finally, the national games took place in Karachi. KP athletes reached the venue only to realize that practice wasn’t necessary to compete. Result? A single bronze medal-a symbolic reminder that once upon a time, Peshawar had dreams of a tartan track. The most astonishing part? Foreign experts supervising the track are doing so online. Initially, two foreign specialists were to...

  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 i...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tashfeen Haider, has taken notice of reported issues in the newly constructed tartan track at the Peshawar Sports Complex and conducted an inspection visit to assess the quality of work. During the visit, the DG Sports, accompanied by former athlete and Director of Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, inspected the tartan track and held discussions with the contractor regarding the ongoing construction. Complaints had been received that the track was not being developed according to the required standards and specifications. Following the inspection, DG Sports KP summoned athletics coach Zafran to review the technical aspects of the track. The coach briefed the contractor on ground-related requirements and highlighted areas where further improvement was possible. To ensure quality control, DG Sports KP directed that coach Zafran be formally assigned to monitor the project on a daily basis. T...

  Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow , Digital Creator The ongoing Tartan track project in the Sports Complex, Peshawar, is also suffering from extreme delays and confused decisions and a complete lack of response from the concerned authorities. Because of the delay, now the National Games have taken place without the facility getting completed, which is now causing extreme problems for the players, especially in athletic and football events. In the recently concluded National Games at Karachi, the athletes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were fortunate to take home just one bronze medal in athletics. The reasons cited by athletes for such low performance are the lack of a proper Tartan track. Before the Games took place, it was guaranteed by athletes that it would be finished within a month. Nonetheless, several months after, it is still unfinished. The project originally targeted for completion in August 2024 has not only caused delays but has moved at a snail pace without anything happe...

  Musarratullah Jan , Kikxnow , digital creator “The Merged Districts Sports Directorate! It is not an average government department. It is a whole state of being, a whole philosophy of life. In this world, games are a rare occasion, while acrobatic performances are frequent. It is not sportsmen who take part in racing, it is documents. It is not the ground that harbors the goal, it is the office.” As this region was previously known as FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), there is an unwritten constitution in play even at this point in time, “Asking is forbidden, speaking is dangerous, and questioning is professional suicide.” No one in this place asks questions, period, and if a soul dares to make the mistake of inquiring, he or she immediately gets the reminder: "This is the Merged Districts! Rules don't reign supreme, persons do." Deputation officers come like it's a picnic, but they can’t remember how to leave, as if they lost their ID card. With t...