Departmental sports restoration on cards as new IPC minister gets his first briefing

ISLAMABAD: The restoration of departmental teams especially for the cash-strapped hockey should be the top of the agenda, as the newly-appointed Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Minister Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari gets his first briefing about the challenges the Pakistan's sports fraternity is going through  — amid the closure of departments, The News reported. 

The ministry and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) officials are to brief the minister on current sports working status at the domestic and international levels. 

The worst hit area is the domestic hockey that has been left redundant following the clamping of departments. Barring the armed forces' teams, all the departmental hockey teams have ceased to exist.

'The News' has learnt that the initial briefing will mostly focus on the working of the ministry, PSB and their relations with the leading stakeholders, the matter relating to the departmental sports could also come under discussion.

Hockey and cricket have been the worst-hit sports following the last year's decision by the previous government to discourage departmental sports. 

Though the cash-rich Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opted for alternates, there is no such option available in hockey. The game activities at the domestic level are at a standstill with hundreds of players affiliated with departments and banks have either lost their jobs or are on the verge of losing these.

An official of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has told 'The News' that the federation's officials would soon be meeting the new minister to discuss these important issues.

"Since the minister is a sports lover and opted for the ministry himself, he must be aware of the ground realities emerging from the decisions taken by the previous government and that was to close departmental sports with no alternative in sight. Hockey is the worst hit sport as it was due to the departments' interest that our domestic hockey was alive. But it has been over a year now and there has been no departmental hockey activity in the country. The players have been left jobless and we are finding it hard to get new emerging stuff that these departments/banks use to groom and nourish.”

The PHF official requested the minister to restore departmental sports which would help in generating sports activities around the country.

"It is all the more important for hockey and some other Olympic sports. For the survival of sports in the countries like Pakistan, the importance of departmental sports cannot be denied."

One of the IPC ministry officials, when approached, said that such a decision could be on the cards.

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