July 01, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1428

LAHORE, June 30: A delay in approval by the Punjab government is not allowing the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to shift its offices.

The Punjab Sports Department had sent a summary to Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi around three months ago, suggesting that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) should be given 145 kanal land of the Government Physical Education College for Men, located at the Nishtar Sports Complex, as it had to vacate the National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC), also located at the Nishtar Complex, on the order of the provincial government.

The Punjab government had decided to give another land to the PSB as it handed over the NSTCC's land to a Dubai-based investment group which is constructing a multi-storied building in front of the NSTCC and wanted to build their car parking at the site of the NSTCC.

The PSB was constructing a boxing gymnasium, renovating the country's lone cycling velodrome and building a hostel at a cost of Rs120 million at the NSTCC when the provincial government took the decision.

According to information, the PSB had already spent Rs40 million on the construction of the boxing gymnasium.

Director-general of the Punjab Sports Department, Farooq Yaqoob, expressed hope that the PSB would soon be shifted to its new location.

When asked what was the fate of the boxing gymnasium since its construction had been suspended on the order of the provincial government, Farooq said his department would complete the construction.

Sources in the Punjab government told Dawn that the government would approve the summary in next fortnight to allow the PSB to shift its offices.