ISLAMABAD: Only two new sports development schemes have been proposed in the Rs1.9 billion Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) development budget for the financial year 2023-24.
The two new schemes that have been approved are holding National Games (Quaid-e-Azam Games, Rs697 million, total cost) 2023-24 and revamping and provision of sports facilities at Kashmore (Rs950 million, total cost).
The remaining proposed amount would be spent on the continuation of 15 old schemes.
The unapproved mega scheme waiting for approval from the authorities is the construction of 250 mini sports complexes all over the country.
A handsome amount has also been proposed for the 15 ongoing schemes with some near completion. These include the establishment of a bio-mechanical lab within the sports complex in Islamabad. The project is expected to get underway this year with the initial cost of Rs120 million.
A total amount of Rs169 million is expected to be spent on the project. The establishment of the lab has been in the pipeline for almost seven years.
Pakistan are to host the 14th South Asian Games next year with several upgradation schemes already in process. The rehabilitation and upgradation of existing sports facilities at the sports complex in Islamabad is already in progress; Rs343.547 million has been proposed in total with Rs103 million to be released during the coming financial year.
Synthetic hockey turf replacement which is in progress in different cities will cost Rs250 million during the coming year. Another Rs50 million is proposed for the construction of a swimming pool at the National Coaching Centre in Karachi.
Another amount of Rs96 million has been proposed for provision of electronic scoreboards at Lahore and Islamabad centres.
Provision of missing sports facilities at different centres will cost around Rs638.954 million with Rs50 million expected to be released during this financial year; Rs40 million has been proposed for upgradation of sports facilities at the PSB Coaching Centre in Quetta.
The total cost of the project is around Rs379.311 million.
Organisation of training camps for participation in the international sports mega events will cost Rs520 million in total.
Against expectations, a slight two percent increase has been proposed in the PSB non-development funds which stands at Rs2,346,357 million. The amount includes a sum of Rs480.342 million to be spent on the Employees Related Expenses (ERE) while Operational expenses will be around Rs456.403 million.
Improvement of sports facilities and promotion of games will cost Rs467, 500 million.
Besides, Rs5 billion is also expected to be spent under the Prime Minister’s Initiative for the Promotion of Sports. The project will see the establishment of 22 mega infrastructure development schemes. The scheme is under consideration and is expected to be finalised and announced soon.
Our Correspondent