Mahmood Khan To Inaugurate Modern Hockey Ground In Swat: DC Swat

International standard Astro turf laying work has been completed in the first world class modern hockey ground at Makan Bagh, Mingora of district Swat, Deputy Commissioner Swat Junaid Khan told media men on Friday

SWAT, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Apr, 2022 ) ::International standard Astro turf laying work has been completed in the first world class modern hockey ground at Makan Bagh, Mingora of district Swat, Deputy Commissioner Swat Junaid Khan told media men on Friday.

He said, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan would grace the occasion as chief guest on Saturday and will inaugurate the newly hockey turf with other facilities, separate female gymnasium for indoor female games besides attending a ground breaking ceremony of Swat Sports Complex.

Accompanied by Regional Sports Officer Malakand, Kashif Farhan during his visit to the ground, Junaid Khan said the Hockey Ground has been constructed in the Makan Bagh area of Mingora which will be available for international events after its formal inauguration. The project, he said, has cost Rs. 99.540 million. A double floor pavilion for spectators has been constructed in the ground along with other facilities, Khalid Khan informed.

The construction of the ground is part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's efforts to promote hockey by expanding facilities in the province, he said, adding, "The Hockey Ground would provide facilities for national and international competitions in Swat." He said, Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan has been requested to visit the state-of-the-art hockey ground equipped with international standard hockey turf and a modern-day pavilion with players and spectators galleries.

He said, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has made a promise with the youth of Malakand Division to have modern-day facilities of hockey and it has been fulfilled with such facilities.

He said, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is spending Rs22,402m to develop sports infrastructure all across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including merged tribal areas so that the youth could be provided with international standard facilities.

The KP government has been spending billions of rupees for the promotion of sports and developing international standard sports infrastructure including laying of 15 hockey turfs, seven separate gymnasiums for females and construction of three International Cricket Council (ICC) certified cricket venues that are Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium Peshawar, international standard cricket stadium at Hayatabad Sports Complex and scenic Kalam valley.

The record is set by allocating Rs22.402 million for the sports sector, which ensures a bright future for the players of the province as per the directives of the promises he made with the youth.

He said, laying of hockey turfs in different districts of the province have been approved in several districts which will increase the number of hockey turfs in KP to 15, which is itself a unique honor as KP becomes the leading province with more hockey turfs facilities.

When contacted, Director General Sports KP Khalid Khan disclosed that Hockey Turfs at Abdul Wali Khan Sports Complex, Charsadda and country's historical institution Islamia College Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Mardan and now Swat have been completed with floodlight facilities while work on hockey turfs at Bajaur, Khyber, Nowshera, Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium Peshawar, Abbottabad, Buner, Malakand and Swabi are in the pipeline. The Astro-Turf at Nowshera and Bajaur are nearing completion while work on others would be started in due course of time.

In the first phase, a huge amount of Rs828 million has been allocated for hockey turfs in different districts at a cost of Rs87 million on Charsadda turf, Rs91 million on Islamia College, Rs99 million on Swat, Rs91 million on Kohat and Rs91 million on Dera Ismail Khan, Rs115 on Abbottabad, Rs123 million on Nowshera, Rs130 million on Bajaur, Rs130 million on Khyber.

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