ISLAMABAD: Chairing a meeting of sports coordination committee, Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza on Wednesday said a federal sports policy is under process in consultation with all provinces.

“In this policy we are focusing to establish small sports facilities at tehsil level to develop a better sports culture,” Dr Fehmida said during the fourth federal sports coordination committee meeting held in Islamabad.

The meeting was attended by members of the coordination committee including sports ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan (through videolink) while Punjab sports minister attended meeting in person. Federal IPC secretary Mohsin Mushtaq, PSB director general retired Col Asif Zaman and senior officials of IPC were also present.

Speaking at the meeting, the IPC minister said a uniformed national sports policy is highly valued internationally.

“We [federal government] has sought input from each province for this purpose and it will soon be announced in a press conference when finalised,” Dr Fehmida said, adding that developing sports infrastructure at tehsil level is priority. Input from all provinces is required in order to encourage uniformity and ownership in [formulating] the national sports policy.”

She also urged the sports ministers to coordinate with their respective provincial educational ministers to include sports in the curriculum.

The IPC minister also urged the provincial governments to make such laws which make it mandatory for all schools and other educational institutions to organise sports facilities.

“Sports activities should also be provided inside the prison and it should be mandatory for any new infrastructure/housing project to have sports facilities in it and provincial governments should enforce such laws,” Dr Fehmida remarked. “There should be a dedicated proportion of budget for sports from which incentives and scholarship schemes should be launched for [talented] sportspersons, including women and disabled persons.”

On the subject of departmental sports, the federal minister during the meeting said the government encourages and favours regional sports as compared to departmental sports.

“We discourage departmental sports and provincial ministers are responsible for sports activities directly,” she underlined. “We want to go for regional sports. As per the vision of the prime minister there should be provincial sports teams and build-up from grassroots level.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mohsin said departmental sports do not provide training facilitates, job security and better future.

Dr Fehmida recommended from provincial tax a small portion should be kept for a sports fund to support athletes. She asked the participants from all provinces to make appropriate preparations for nest year’s SAF Games, scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan, and its promotional activities.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2021