Bureaucrats in the Field of Sports Must Be Athletes Themselves: Calls from Various Associations

Bureaucrats in the Field of Sports Must Be Athletes Themselves: Calls from Various Associations

By Musarrat Ullah Jan , Kikxnow

Various sports associations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have called for bureaucrats to be appointed in the sports sector who are athletes themselves or have an affiliation with sports. According to these associations, such bureaucrats are needed everywhere in the sports sector to understand the issues faced by athletes and to make efforts to solve them. Otherwise, there will be a decline in the sports sector and the fields will exist, but the players will disappear.

The associations have also called for a survey to develop the trend of sports competitions at the nursery level to implement the sports policy that was introduced in 2018 and to promote new players. Representatives of various associations have expressed their views on the Provincial Sports Directorate and stressed the need for bureaucrats who have an understanding of sports, players, and related essentials to make efforts for the promotion of sports from the beginning.

The service structure of the Provincial Sports Directorate has been designed in a way that people have been posted in the same department for many decades, gaining experience due to their association with the sports sector but not being brought to the top position. On the other hand, PMS officers come for a specific time and take six months to understand the problems. Meanwhile, the sports department is ruined, and this highlights the need to appoint bureaucrats who themselves or their children or have an affiliation with the field of sports.

According to the associations, the appointment of bureaucrats who are not qualified in the field of sports initially takes place, and certain officers of the department take the bureaucrats into their hands and make them do what they want. The associations are also at the mercy of the same individuals who tell the bureaucrats about the negative activities of the associations, even though the role of the associations in the promotion of sports is crucial.

The newly appointed Director General of Sports Directorate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will face many challenges, according to people associated with the associations. The previous government launched a project of 1000 sports facilities, but only a small number of grounds have been built, and they are non-standard. No funds have been released for this project in the year 2022, and the activities are not visible. Similarly, the change of the Engineering Wing into a separate department has not produced the desired results. Most of the projects managed by the same wing, including hockey grounds from Dera Ismail Khan to Charsadda and Peshawar, were built and managed by the Provincial Sports Directorate, and most of them are sub-standard.

The recruitment of people without advertisement and the use of unnecessary and fake documents from other districts have caused frustration among educated youth who have been working in the same department for many years. Moreover, the prices of sports equipment have doubled, making it difficult for people to participate in sports.

In conclusion, the promotion of sports in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa requires urgent attention, with a need for bureaucrats who are knowledgeable in the field of sports and have an affiliation with it. A survey to develop the trend of sports competitions at the nursery level is also crucial to promote new players, and the recruitment process must be transparent and based on merit. The provision of sports facilities is the responsibility of the Provincial Sports Directorate, and there is a need to ensure that the sports policy implemented in the year 2018 is properly followed.