Thousands of players in around 30 different sports disciplines are expected to be unemployed after the federal government issued a notice calling on all government departments, businesses and autonomous bodies to stop funding sports teams, reported Dawn.
“During a meeting on the overhaul of the sport governance structure in Pakistan held under the chairmanship of the Pakistani Prime Minister on September 1, the Honorable Prime Minister wished to end the funding of departmental sports teams of various organizations / companies / autonomous government bodies. and, instead, these funds can be used for the promotion of regional sports teams,” wrote the additional secretary of the Ministry of Interprovincial Coordination, Mohsin Mushtaq Chandna, in a letter that was received in different departments working under the government. .
He further asked them to divert funds to regional teams.
“In order to implement the orientations of the Honorable Prime Minister, you are therefore asked to prepare a practical transition plan to divert funding from departmental teams to regional teams, within two months, which should be implemented. Work within six months of March 1, 2022,” the letter concluded.
As per Dawn, one of the main features of the national sports policy that the IPC ministry has proposed is to discourage departmental sports.
A copy of this letter was sent to the Presidents of Pakistan International Airlines, Islamabad, Wapda, Higher Education Commission, Railways, FBR, IGs of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and President National Bank from Pakistan.
The move came after Prime Minister Imran Khan abolished the departmental cricket configuration, which resulted in thousands of cricketers losing their jobs.
Although ministries have been asked to divert funds to sponsor the six newly formed provincial cricket associations, instead of spending this amount on their own teams, no ministry has been able to set rules for transferring these funds.
Pakistan has historically produced athletes who have excelled in their disciplines through the departmental system.
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An official in one of the departments, who received the letter revealed that it was not possible for them to transfer their funds to the regional teams. Most of the athletes in Pakistan are employed by departments, including javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib, who impressed with their performances at this year’s Tokyo Olympics. Both represent the department, Wapda.
