PESHAWAR, July 25: The future of Under-15 national swimming championship, scheduled to commence at Peshawar Sports Complex from Aug 21, is in doubt due to delay in the reconstruction of the swimming pool.
Due to non availability of alternate venue in the provincial metropolis the NWFP Swimming Association has requested Pakistan Swimming Federation to postpone the championship till November, officials said.
Swimmers from all four provinces were to take part in the tournament. But the championship’s seems uncertain because the contractor has informed the sports board that the project could not be completed before December 2002.
The association’s organisers are apprehensive about the tournament, saying that the federation might change the venue in case the reconstruction and redesigning work of the swimming pool was further delayed. It is feared that the championship might be shifted to any other province, as the NWFP has already missed two chances - Under-15 2000 and 2001.
The provincial government earmarked about Rs 13 million to redesign and up-grade the sports complex swimming pool. The roof is being covered with fibre glass whereas steam and cooling facilities will also be provided to organise international events in the swimming pool.
The association secretary Mohammad Asif told Dawn that delay in completion is due to the fact that funds were not released to the contractor on time by the executing agency, the City Development and Municipal Department (CDMD).
He said that under the agreement the CDMD should have to hand over the swimming pool to the sports board by the end of June 2002. “There is a possibility that the federation may turn down the association’s request and hold the championship in another city”, the secretary said.
An official of the CDMD said that according to the contract the contractor would have to hand over the swimming pool to the sports board by the end of April 2003 and it would be very difficult to complete the project before December.