LAHORE: The Punjab Sports Department has decided to create over 800 new jobs for the management of 204 newly-constructed sports complexes across the province.

A summary seeking approval from the provincial government is ready to be dispatched, an official said on Wednesday during a meeting chaired by Sports Secretary Muzaffar Khan Sial.

The department has faced criticism in the past for its lack of proper staff and policies, which led to deterioration of sports infrastructure.

In several cases, facilities remained unused or inaccessible to players due to unclear guidelines and discretionary powers granted to staff members.

The sports department is now seeking approval for a Schedule of New Expenditure (SNE) to address these issues. The proposal includes the hiring of over 800 staff members for the sports complexes, as well as 12 officials for monitoring sports activities, revenue affairs, and curator roles across all districts.

The sports secretary acknowledged financial challenges faced by the Punjab Sports Board, particularly delays in paying staff salaries over the past year due to limited funds.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the Quaid-i-Azam Inter-provincial Games scheduled for the last week of December in Islamabad. Training camps for 274 players defending Punjab’s title will commence in Lahore on Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024