31 October 2004	Sunday	16 Ramazan 1425

RAWALPINDI, Oct 30: A national sports strategy, a presentation of which was made before President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Saturday, proposes a major enhancement of quota for admissions to educational institutions on sports basis.

Lt. Gen Syed Arif Hasan, the head of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) made the presentation that went on for over three hours.

The strategy that proposes a host of measures for improvement of sports and development of infrastructure will be put before the cabinet for final approval.

Arif told a press conference that a minimum increase of 4 percent from the current 1 per cent had been suggested for sports related admissions which also includes professional institutions.

The marathon meeting was attended by sports ministers, secretaries of various ministries, the Director General of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and other officials.

The strategy suggests that a 2 percent of the total budget of tehsils and districts be set aside for sports and similarly the same percentage of jobs be reserved for sportsmen.

The PSB's yearly non-development budget, if approved, would see a three-time increase from the current Rs 8 million to Rs 250 million while the development budget may well soar to the same mark.

The president was briefed on the roles of PSB, POA, provincial associations and the national federations and was given a brief overview of the sporting infrastructure available in the country.

"The president was told that the situation today is such that except for Islamabad, the National Games cannot be efficiently organised elsewhere because of inadequate facilities," Arif said.

It was agreed that before the next National Games in Karachi, a survey of the facilities available be conducted and the areas that require attention be dealt with on a crash basis.

The strategy also focuses on educational institutions and suggests that each school organise regularly three to five games with athletics and martial arts being mandatory. "It will be upto the school administration to decide on the three other sports."

The colleges (upto intermediate level) will be asked to take part in Inter-Board competitions and Youth Games which will be staged in the year when the National Games are not being held.

It will be compulsory for colleges to hold five to six games with a Sports Director a must for every institution.

Scholarships in professional institutions for sportsmen who do well will be given and International scholarships could also be considered for those who are simply outstanding.

A proposal to set up a sports board under the Ministry of Education for managing sports in educational institutions, both at the provincial and federal levels, has also been made.

Other steps that the strategy proposes are:

- Setting up of a youth and sports channel to be run by PTV as a pilot project

-All sports facilities run by the Army to be made available to different teams at the district and tehsil levels

-The Hero Card raffle scheme to be put before the cabinet for approval

-Special attention to women sports

-All universities be asked to develop their own infrastructure

-Madaris to be inducted into the sporting mainstream -Establishment of sports institute

-Jobs to be assured for sportsmen

-Tax exemption on sports goods

-Monitoring of funds to ensure money is spent for the purpose it has been earmarked.