KARACHI, Dec 30: Federal Sports Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani has generously offered matching grant in addition to government facilities in kind to the financially starved Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) for staging the 34th National snooker championship here in February.

“I assure you that I will extend fifty per cent of the proposed Rs0.7 million required for organising the country’s premier snooker championship,” he told newsmen at a briefing after meeting PBSA officials at the Karachi Club on Tuesday.

Earlier, PBSA President Alamgir Shaikh had submitted a budgetary proposal of five million rupees to the minister besides apprising him of their achievements during the last two decades, lack of sponsorship and jobs for cueists.

He patiently listened to their demands and enquired whether the baize game was an Olympic sport or affiliated with the POA.Responding to a question pertaining to providing jobs to international sportspersons, the minister said: “It was a genuine issue and if need arise we will opt for legislation.”

He regretted that country’s sports graph had drastically gone down and a collective effort was required to arrest it within the available resources.

“National Sports Federations are independent and should embark to raise funds instead of solely eyeing on the government every now and then,” he remarked.

Citing examples of foreign clubs, he asked the NSF to follow them and raise funds through gate money etc. “You (NSF) have to do your homework,” he said, adding, “Federations should produce finest athlete who are able to win colours and are answerable to people.”

Recalling his meeting with Mehboob Khan, father of tennis player Sarah Mehboob, the minister said he (Mehboob) demanded Rs10.9 million for her daughter’s participation in international circuit which according to him, was over two year’s budget of a federation.