Sports Policy Approved In KP's 50th Cabinet Meeting

Sports policy approved in KP's 50th cabinet meeting

The Provincial Cabinet approved the most awaited sports policy in the 50th Cabinet Meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Chair.

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Apr, 2018 ) :The Provincial Cabinet approved the most awaited sports policy in the 50th Cabinet Meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Chair.

Realizing the importance of sports at the grassroots level, Provincial Cabinet took this historical decision giving more focus to the promotion of sports at grassroots level, Director General Sports Junaid Khan told APP.

He said, most countries including Pakistan want to be able to perform competitively during international sporting competitions because of its key role earlier on in different sports but surprisingly all such credential Pakistan achieved in the past despite poor infrastructure development, less know how about the use of scientific tools, lack of planning, squeezing and vanishing of playing fields, no sports in educational institutions and above all ever-rising population sub-due the old facilities.

However, the ability to compete arise from strong training programs and accessibility to youth sport, he said, adding provincial government has realized the need to train athletes on and off the competition fields in order to create healthy lifestyles with the hope it will lead to an increased number of elite athletes and a decrease in obesity in the province in particular and in the country in general.

He disclosed that during the last 30 years governments around the world have been focusing on improving "sport-for-all" policies and their youth sport policies. These initiatives have been important in improving community health, physical activity levels and community involvement, Junaid Khan added.

In the policy grassroots sport has given priority, he said, adding, "provincial government has realized to reach out to youth at the community level and in schools also educates families and increases their physical activity levels." "Realizing the importance of sport at the grassroots level, the provincial government has been able to improve access to sport and quality of life for its people in both urban and rural areas by launching a comprehensive plan by developing playing fields in every nock-and-corner," he said.

After completing a century (100) of playing fields in all across the province, Junaid Khan said that the provincial govt has taken a step ahead to have youth policy initially, followed by sports policy and emerged as the first province to have these policies after the passage of 18 amendments wherein the ministry of youth, sports, culture, tourism devolved.

He said, KP sport policy stems from a desire to perform better as a nation in international competitions because Pakistan once ruled the world for 37-years in Squash and still have in kitty as distinction that no country of the world have.

Pakistan is the only country of the world to have four World Cup titles (in hockey, squash, cricket & snooker) in one time, he further added. Winning the hockey World Cup four times, still a World Record, three gold medals in Olympics, so many Asian titles and remained in hockey as the leading team till 90s, Pakistan lost such glorious days.

In squash Pakistan ruled the world but now none of the players are in top 50s or even in top 80s world ranking. Sensing such rapid downfall, actually because of no policy, no planning, no brain behind to address such menace, the new sports policy, approved by the Cabinet, is aimed at to put the country again on the track of progress, focused on improving sport and ensuring the youth all had equal access to recreational and grassroots levels sport, he opined.

There was also a push to improve grassroots sport in rural and poor areas of KP that can indicated from the fact that a far flung areas like Chitral got two playing areas despite situated on world known mountains rangers, he said, adding the government is pushing the "sport-for-all" model for all the youth in KP in order to have higher participation levels in sport.

"With a motto of 'Sport-for-All,' the government is boosting its programs to encourage sport for KP kids and youth, women's sport, and to provide further opportunities for disabled people," he said.

Sport for all encourages everyone to be involved in recreational activities, he added. The new sports policy, he said, has things to improve health and moral values within society. The government, he said, also hoped to improve pride in Pakistan sport by expanding community access to sport and introducing playing fields at lower level such as Union Council and Tehsil means to bring the talented rural youth to mainstream of pool so that they could get due opportunities to come and show their hidden talent on appropriate way.

To promote sport throughout the province, the KP government has expected to spend over Rs. 2 billion annually on sport besides Rs. 1.5 billion meant for youth activities other than sports only and over Rs.

0.5 billion each on tourism and culture activities. Certainly with introducing and initiating new sports policy is to improve better living standard of youth related to sport with some emphasis on "sport-for-all," but the question is do the policy - introduced will be continued in a letter and spirit.