ISLAMABAD: Over a year has passed since the inter-school and colleges sports competition of 2013 was organised by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), but winners are yet to receive trophies.

According to sources, in 2013 hundreds of school and college students participated in various sports competitions organised by the FBISE.

The students who worked hard to win the hockey, volleyball and athletics competitions have yet to receive the trophies they won.

Since three academic sessions have passed, several award winners have either gone to university or left school.

Bureaucratic tussle over purchase of trophies caused delay

“All the winners should have been given their awards and trophies right after the game but corruption came in between the deserving students and their awards,” said a senior FBISE official.

He said officials wasted time trying to purchase trophies through quotations so that they may receive kickbacks.

“Some honest officials demanded an open tender to prevent corruption,” he said.

The official said the FBISE wasted many months trying to make a decision and finally purchased hundreds of trophies through an open tender.

He said the trophies were sitting in a room at the FBISE, catching dust.

“I doubt these trophies would be able to reach the students or their institutions any time soon,” he said.

Professor Sagheer Ahmed Mirani, who teaches at Islamabad Model College for Boys (IMCB) H-9, said that it was unfortunate that two years later, trophies, medals and awards have still not be given to students.

“Awards, trophies and medals are meant to encourage students and reward their performance,” he added.

Munir Anjum, a schoolteacher, said: “Delay in distribution of awards discourages students and makes the competition meaningless.

Years later, people cherish the trophies and awards they won in school and these students have been denied that feeling.”

FBISE Director Sports Murtaza Cheema confirmed that the winners and runners-up of the 2013 competitions had not yet received their trophies.

“However, the situation will be rectified soon,” he said.

Mr Cheema said the process was delayed because of several reasons.

“Two months back, we purchased the trophies in a transparent way and now they will be distributed among students or sent to institutions soon,” he said.

Published in Dawn March 10th, 2015

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