Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Faisal Ayub Khokhar presided over a high profile meeting at Punjab Stadium on Monday. The important meeting was convened to discuss planning of mega sports projects for the development of sports culture across the province.
Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Muzaffar Khan Sial and Director General Sports Punjab Pervez Iqbal gave an in-depth briefing regarding mega sports projects, sports calendar, endowment fund and targets of the department in the meeting. Project Director PMU Qaiser Raza, Additional Secretary Farhan Farooq and other officials were also present in the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that the Punjab Sports Department is going to build 300 sports grounds across the province. “Our target is to build 20 new E-Libraries in different parts of the province. We will build new sports complexes in 18 tehsils of Punjab. A total of 113 out of the 322 sports infrastructures will be overhauled”.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Faisal Ayub Khokhar said that the Chief Minister Internship Program will be started in Punjab. “The establishment of the first Sports City is also being evaluated in Lahore. Besides this we are going to inaugurate seven sports projects in the near future. 16 development sports schemes will be completed within the next three months,” he added.
Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Faisal Ayub Khokhar informed that the Contact Body Sports Center and National Hockey Stadium will be inaugurated soon. “Shahkot Gymnasium and Hockey Stadium in Faisalabad will also be inaugurated”.
Taking a big step, Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Faisal Ayub Khokhar informed that a Department of Maintenance and Repair is being established soon to protect the sports infrastructure. “The process of the Sports Endowment Fund was reviewed thoroughly. Under Sports Endowment Fund, every possible help will be extended to deserving players from across the province”.
He said that more effective reforms will be introduced to improve the Kabaddi game. “We will spend money on the development of coaches and int’l coaches will be brought for the development of sports”.
He said that there will be full focus on the welfare of the athletes including Olympian Arshad Nadeem. “We are taking effective measures to improve Punjab’s sports in accordance with modern requirements,” he added.