PESHAWAR, Minister for Finance and Health Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Taimur Jhagra here on Sunday inaugurated four International standard Badminton Courts including one for females with synthetic flooring at Hayatabad Sports Complex.
The courts were completed under Prime Minister’s 1000 Playground Projects with the total cost of Rs 120 million.
Taimur Saleem Jhagra appreciated the phase of work done by the Secretary Sports KP Abid Majeed, Director General Sports KP Asfandyar Khan Khattak, Project Director Prime Minister 1000 Playground Facilities Murad Ali Mohmand, Deputy Director Ameer Muhammad, Deputy GIS (IT) Zahid Shah and Arsalan Khan.
“Such courts are of international standard that would help our players to come and take much needed international standard exposure,” he said while addressing a press briefing at the same venue soon after inaugurating the courts.
He said the government is fully focusing on youth development and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is monitoring every facility that has been developed for ensuring provision of international standard facilities.
He said the encouragement of players will continue and that is why the world-class badminton courts are being set up to promote the sport at grass roots level.
Taimur Saleem Jhagra, who also inspected the ongoing construction work on Hayatabad Cricket Stadium, expressed the hope that the next PSL-7 matches would be organized at the same venue as the Stadium would be ready by December this year.
He said the total capacity of the Stadium is more than 600 and Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, another mega project of around Rs. 2 billion would be ready in a year that certainly equipped Peshawar would have two international standard cricketing venues as par with the standard of International Cricket Council and Pakistan Cricket Board.
Taimur Jhagra said that with such facilities, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be able to bring back international cricket to Peshawar.
He said, around Rs.1 billion is the cost of Hayatabad Sports Complex and another cricket Stadium would be constructed by giving it a traditional look at scenic Kalam at the cost of Rs. 2.7 billion.
Kalam Cricket Stadium, he said, would ensure cricketing activities to international cricketers during the hot summer weather.
He added that the Kalam Cricket Stadium would be at the world’s highest altitude and said, Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium has a seating capacity of 30,000 spectators and the youth of Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will enjoy international cricketing with two world class cricket stadiums.
He said the government of KP has allocated significant funds for sports, youth affairs and other important matters.
He said, Prime Minister Imran Khan has a very clear directive that playgrounds be set up on government land under Prime Minister 1000 Playground Facilities.
Answering a question, he said, the allocation of Rs. 3000 million for the construction of Playground at Union Council level in KP and Rs. 500 million for merged districts for similar purpose to have Playground at UCs level, following the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan could be utilized under Prime Minister 1000 Playground Project.
He said, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has directed to release the funds for development projects before July 1, 2021 and the possibility is that hopefully we will be able to release such funds even before July 1, 2021.
Timur Saleem Jhagra said that the economic situation will improve significantly in the next two years
He said that they were providing opportunities to the youth of KP including merged areas for healthy sports activities. These badminton courts are a link in the same chain.
He said that the citizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would soon get the opportunity to watch international competitions, both at Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium and Hayatabad Cricket Stadium.
It is a matter of joy for everyone that Peshawar would become the only city in the country to have two international cricket Stadiums. Construction work on Hayatabad Cricket Ground and Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadiums is in full swing, he added.
On the occasion, the provincial minister also visited the indoor female gymnasium and inspected the facilities. Responding to a question, Taimur Jhagra said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s
development budget was the highest in terms of rate compared to other provinces. Punjab has 21percent of its total budget while Sindh has 22 percent development budget. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated 33 percent of the total budget for the financial year 2021-22 for development works, which is the highest in the country.
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