Musarat Ullah Jan
PESHAWAR: President of the Provincial Hockey Association, Syed Zahir Shah, has warned that outsourcing sports grounds will have devastating consequences for the future of sports, saying the move will hit talented athletes from poor families the hardest and make sports accessible only to those who can afford the costs.
Speaking to journalists in Peshawar, Shah said that the majority of successful athletes come from underprivileged backgrounds. He argued that handing sports facilities over to private contractors would lead to higher fees and additional expenses, forcing many talented but financially disadvantaged players to quit sports.
Paying tribute to the services of sports pioneer Syed Aqil Shah, he said Aqil Shah made invaluable contributions to the promotion of sports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He added that Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium in Peshawar was named after his late father, Lala Ayub, in recognition of his outstanding services to hockey and his lifelong support for athletes.
Shah warned that if Lala Ayub Hockey Stadium is outsourced, players will stop coming to the facility. He said sports associations provide hockey sticks, balls and other equipment to young players through their own resources, whereas a private contractor’s priority would be generating revenue rather than developing sports or supporting athletes.
Criticising the Sports Directorate, Shah said the department is now focusing more on construction projects and outsourcing than on promoting sports. “It should be renamed the Directorate of Construction and Outsourcing,” he remarked.
He further said that the current policies contradict the vision for sports development introduced by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to Shah, there is no example anywhere in the world where sports grounds are outsourced because sports facilities are like a mother to athletes and should remain dedicated to their development.
He added that sports officials and volunteers have been serving the sector without financial compensation for years, but recent policies are discouraging those working for the promotion of sports. Shah urged the government to immediately withdraw its decision to outsource sports grounds in order to protect the interests of young athletes, particularly those from low-income families.
