ISLAMABAD, May 6: The government has given the go-ahead to Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) for the construction of a complex of international standard in Islamabad which once complete will be the biggest in Asia.

Sports Minister Raees Munir Ahmed gave the clearance during Monday’s executive committee meeting of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

Secretary of the PSF, Wing Commander Sajid Waheed told Dawn on Tuesday that it was a big breakthrough considering that the matter had been pending for the past eight months.

The complex, to be named after the late president of the PSF, Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, who died in a plane crash in February, will be built in two phases.

The first phase of construction at a cost of Rs 10 million along with the installation of a portable four-side glass wall court worth Rs 9 million is likely to start in about a month and a half. The court has already been purchased and was first used in the Pakistan Open at Lahore in 2002.

Sajid said that the architectural design of the complex would provide for big gates for dismantling/installation and transportation of the court so that it could also be used elsewhere.

The project in the premises of the Pakistan Sports Complex is just next to the Roshan Khan Squash courts and its second phase would involve wooden flooring and construction of four courts with back side glass walls.

On completion, the project which will become part of the existing Roshan Khan Complex, will have six courts for practice and three championship courts. “There would also be provision for a double court because this form of squash is now becoming popular.”

Sajid stated that the purpose of having the portable championship court was that it was now becoming mandatory for staging big international tournaments. “Besides we want it in place so that our players get used to playing in such courts, the bounce off which is slower than cemented walls.”

He said that the PSF was giving a lot of attention to building new infrastructure and disclosed that Nishter Park Complex in Lahore would be ready by 2005.

Once the Islamabad and Lahore projects are completed, the PSF could well shift its attention to Quetta.

“The only place left is Quetta and we will certainly be looking into this so that we could have another big centre for organising international tournaments,” he said.