July 26, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 15,1423

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PESHAWAR, July 25: The future of Under-15 national swimming championship,  scheduled to commence at Peshawar Sports Complex from Aug 21, is in doubt due to delay  in  the reconstruction of the swimming pool.

Due  to non availability of alternate venue in the  provincial metropolis the NWFP Swimming Association has requested Pakistan Swimming Federation to postpone the championship till  November, officials said.

Swimmers from all four  provinces were to  take  part  in  the tournament.  But the championship’s seems uncertain because  the  contractor has informed the sports board  that  the project could not be completed before December 2002.

The  association’s  organisers  are  apprehensive  about   the tournament, saying that the federation might change the venue  in case the reconstruction and redesigning work of the swimming pool was further delayed. It is feared that the championship might  be shifted to any other province, as the NWFP has already missed two chances - Under-15 2000 and 2001.

The  provincial  government earmarked about Rs 13  million  to redesign and up-grade the sports complex swimming pool. The  roof is  being  covered  with fibre glass whereas  steam  and  cooling facilities will also be provided to organise international events in the swimming pool.

The  association secretary Mohammad Asif told Dawn that delay in completion is due to the fact that funds were not released to the contractor on time by the executing agency, the City Development and Municipal  Department (CDMD).

He said that under the agreement the CDMD should have to hand over the swimming pool to the sports board by the end of June 2002.  “There is a possibility that the federation may turn down  the association’s  request and hold the championship in another  city”, the secretary said.

An  official of the CDMD said that according to  the  contract the  contractor would have to hand over the swimming pool to  the sports  board  by  the end of April 2003 and  it  would  be  very difficult to complete the project before December.