KARACHI, July 4: The National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC) is being misused as the management has allowed holding marriages at the formerly hockey field. This has never happened in the past since the NSTCC was commissioned in 1965.

The NSTCC has a regular source of income through tartan track which they rent out to local educational institutions for holding their annual sports, which is quite justified.

But one has failed to understand as to what is the need of raising funds by permitting marriage functions.

The NSTCC charge Rs. 15,000 as rent for a wedding ceremony whereas their rates for using tartan track for sports function for a day are Rs.7,000, officials said.

A survey conducted by Dawn show that the hockey goal posts have been removed and the grass has vanished.

It has served as a regular hockey field for a long time.

Though there is a mushroom growth of wedding halls in every nook and corner of the city, but a trend of misusing the premises has fast developed. For years, similar functions used to take place at the outer lawns of National Stadium and KMC! sports complex, Kashmir Road.