Daily Times

PESHAWAR: The lone cricket stadium in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the Arbab Niaz Stadium, which has hosted a number of international cricket matches, needs the attention of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government on an urgent basis. Despite the tall claims of the PTI Chief Imran Khan that his government would establish a sports stadium at union council level during the five year tenure, nothing of the sort has happened so far.

The city of Peshawar has produced squash legends who ruled for decades in the sport, but Peshawar does not have a single world class squash court. Peshawar has produced badminton legends like Tariq Wadood, who brought glory to Pakistan by a claiming silver medal in the 1979 World Badminton Championship is still without an international standard badminton court.

The misery and irresponsibility of successive government towards sports can be judged by the incomplete Rs191million renovation and rehabilitation project of Hayatabad Sports Complex (HSC). The complex, originally constructed in the early 1990s, had all major sports facilities including cricket, hockey, football, swimming and squash.

However, in the late 1990s, this sports facility was turned into a commercial hub and even a private party arena, and later a marriage hall with a swimming pool next to it. Similarly, the gymnasium was leased to an NGO for its teaching classes and workshops. Sources told Daily Times that the rehabilitation work of the sports complex was initiated, and was to be completed by February 2016; however, the date was postponed owing to the slow pace of the construction work and government irresponsibility to follow up the mega project.

The initial cost of Hayatabad Sports Complex renovation work has been revised from 127 million to 191 million, said Mr. Niamatullah, Assistant Director Development, at Directorate General of Sports and Youth Affair Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sources said that the rehabilitation work was started in June 2013 and expected to be completed by 2015, but after the increase of some of the components in the complex, the cost of rehabilitation work has also been revised from original Rs127million to Rs191million.

He also said Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) obtained a stay order from Peshawar High Court (PHC) on the construction of some of the components in the complex including two squash courts, which also delayed the completion of the complex. But contrary to its claim, the government once again lags behind in June 2016. It to be noted here that the department made three demands in the APD 2015-16 for the competition of Hayatabad Sports Complex.

PDA Assistant Director Tariq Mehmood, while speaking to Daily Times, expressed hope that the renovation would be completed in a month or so and the Hayatabad Sports Complex would available for indoor games with its facilities for players and public. HayatAbad Sports Complex is one of the mega projects in KP. The renovation includes building a multipurpose hall, a cricket ground, a hockey ground, a gymnasium, two squash courts, two hostels, a tube well and a large parking area. Requesting anonymity, one of the official at the Directorate General of Sports and Youth Affairs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) said that the department has intended to scratch out some funds from the ADP 2016-17 for completing the project.