ISLAMABAD, June 5: A sum of Rs216.599 million has been earmarked for new sports projects in the Public Sector Development Programme 2006-07. A good chunk of this money will go towards laying of hockey pitches at Sargodha, Khuzdar, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit with Rs 20 million having been set aside for each centre.

Swat, which is also to have a turf is to be allocated Rs2.5 million while Rs32.031 are to be spent on repair and renovation of the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium in Karachi.

The government has earmarked Rs7.662 million for the construction of a baseball stadium at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad and another Rs10 million for establishing a Sports Medicine Centre at the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

An amount of Rs5.899 million has been allocated for special repair and roof treatment of the Liaquat Gymnasium in the premises of the Pakistan Sports Complex.

Money has also been allocated for construction of sports stadia at various centres of the country with the far-flung district of Dir to get Rs6.00 million and Patoki and Chunian in District Kasur allocated Rs 4 million and 3 million respectively.

Swat which features prominently in the list of new projects to be undertaken in the region has been allocated Rs9.832 million for construction of a sports stadium in Saidu Sharif and another Rs5.00 million for upgradation of the Malam Jabba ski resort.

A sum of Rs 5.675 million has been allocated for the construction of a wrestling hall and improvement of the existing one in Gujranwala.

For the construction of sports hostels at PSB Coaching Centres in Karachi and Lahore, Rs 5 million each have been earmarked.

The on-going projects under the PSDP 2005-06 are the construction of boxing gymnasiums at Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar and stadiums in Skardu, Jhang, Sialkot and Nowshera.