ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Governing Board on Wednesday approved a Rs1.53 billion non-development budget, with the major share of the enhanced allocation earmarked for the training and preparation of national athletes ahead of the 14th South Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Islamabad in March 2027.
The meeting, held in Islamabad with members attending both physically and online, endorsed the revised budget after the federal government released the first tranche of a special grant for the country’s preparations for the regional multi-sport event.
Well-placed sources told The News that the PSB’s non-development budget, initially estimated at around Rs1.05 billion, has now been increased to Rs1.53 billion following the release of additional funds by the Ministry of Finance.
“The Board has approved the revised non-development budget of Rs1.53 billion. The increase comes after the release of the first installment by the federal government for the preparation of the South Asian Games,” a senior official said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already approved an overall allocation of Rs11 billion for the preparation and successful hosting of the South Asian Games. In addition to the non-development budget, the PSB is already utilising a development budget of around Rs1.9 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for infrastructure projects.
Sources said the development allocation is also expected to increase by more than Rs5 billion in the coming months to facilitate the renovation and upgrading of sports venues and allied infrastructure required for the Games.
The Governing Board meeting, which started after a delay of about 30 minutes, was chaired by Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah Khan. It was attended by IPC Secretary Mohyuddin Wani, Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Arif Saeed (online), Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (online) and other Board members.
The Board also discussed the issue of breakaway national sports federations and those that conducted elections without taking the PSB Election Commission into confidence. Members deliberated on disputes involving parallel bodies, including the ongoing controversy surrounding the Pakistan Padel Federation.
It was decided to constitute a committee comprising a Grade-21 IPC officer, senior PSB officials and representatives of two neutral federations having no direct interest in the disputes. The committee will examine such cases and submit recommendations for resolving the issues.
The proposal to outsource PSB and other hostels was deferred. The Board directed the relevant authorities to complete all legal and administrative formalities and obtain the required approvals before presenting a comprehensive and implementable proposal at a future meeting.
