The country’s departmental sports ban was abolished on Thursday by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in an effort to “revive rivalry” amongst various teams and to support young sportsmen.
At the request of the then-prime minister Imran Khan, departmental sports were outlawed in the nation while the PTI was in power. The federal government then gave orders for all autonomous organisations, corporations, and governmental departments to stop financing sports teams and start funding local teams.
The majority of athletes, such javelin throwers Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib, who dazzled with their achievements at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, were employed by departments.
Additionally, Imran eliminated the departmental structure in cricket, which led to the layoff of thousands of cricketers.The decision had angered numerous departments of sports’ top brass and drawn harsh condemnation, especially from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The directives, however, have not yet been put into effect because no department wanted to get go of the athletes from their department. All the impacted parties hoped for the earlier orders to be reversed after the new government came into office.
Prime Minister Shehbaz officially announced the change in Imran’s sports policy today at an event in Islamabad, saying: “This would be a healthy initiative that will encourage the youth to make Pakistan proud in the sports field.”He told the athletes, “You have done our nation proud and are an inspiration for our kids,” adding that the entire country was pleased with their amazing performances.
He also assured the public that eliminating the prohibition on departmental sports will assist athletes succeed in their particular sports and bring more honours to the nation.
Later, the Prime Minister’s Office claimed in a tweet that the PTI government’s move had caused thousands to lose their jobs. After taking office, PM Shehbaz promised to reinstate departmental sports in order to encourage young people to play healthy sports.
