ISLAMABAD, July 5: The Director General of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) said on Tuesday that several development projects had been successfully completed and that shortage of infrastructure would soon be overcome.

“Work on new projects is underway and once they are completed the requirement of infrastructure will be met to some extent,” Brig Arif Mahmud Siddiqui told Dawn.

During the last four years projects such as replacement of hockey turfs at Karachi, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar have been completed besides construction of the Mushaf Squash Complex and players’ hostel in the premises of the Pakistan Sports Complex here.

Work on laying of new artificial hockey pitches at Abbottabad, Sialkot and Hyderabad is in progress while initial formalities for installation of such turfs at Rawalakot and Khushab are being completed with the contract to be awarded early next month.

The government has allocated a sum of Rs 313.973 million under the Public Sector Development Programme 2005-06 for various development projects

By January of 2004, the PSB had as many as 51 projects approved with work on about half of them currently under way.

“Never before have so many projects been approved in Pakistan’s sports history,” Arif said.

Some of the ongoing projects of the PSB include the construction of boxing gymnasia at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. “These have been designed in a manner that all indoor games can be played.”

The PSB is also actively compiling the requirements for creation of sports facilities across the country upto tehsil level in consultation with the provincial governments.

A list of some of the projects completed by PSB during the last four years:

1. Replacement of synthetic turf at Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi.

2. Replacement of synthetic hockey turf at Ayub Stadium, Quetta.

3. Replacement of synthetic hockey truf at Army Stadium, Rawalpindi.

4. Replacement of synthetic hockey turf at Nasir Bunda Stadium, Islamabad.

5. Construction of sportsmen hostel at Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad.

6. Mushaf Squash Complex.

7. Construction of swimming pool (phase II) at the Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad.

8. Installation of airconditioning plant at squash complex, Islamabad.

9. Renovation of facilities for 9th SAF Games, Islamabad.

10. Services network Phase I, Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad.

PSB’s ongoing development projects:

1. Construction of boxing gymnasia at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.

2.Construction of wrestling arena, Lahore

3. Construction of sports complex, Rahim Yar Khan.

4. Construction of sports stadiums at Chakwal, Jhang, Lodhran, Okara, Charsadda, Lakki Marwat, Haripur, Skardu.

5. Construction of hockey stadium, Khushab.

6. Construction of sports complexes at Nawabshah, Thatta, Badin, Mardan.

7. Construction and improvement of tennis courts, hockey ground at Qayyum Stadium, Peshawar.

8. Renovation and upgradation of PSB coaching centre Peshawar.

9. Provision of facilities at Qazi Mohib Stadium, Bannu.

10. Construction of playground, Hangu.

11. Construction of swimming pool, Quetta.

12. Construction of football stadiums at Kharan and Pishin.

13. Renovation/repair of PSB coaching centre, Quetta.