SIALKOT - Another year has passed but there is no improvement in the miserable and pathetic condition of Municipal Stadium Daska.
A survey report reveals that upgradation of the stadium is yet to complete despite the lapse of one and a half years due to funds paucity.
All the sports activities are suspended for one and a half years in Daska stadium meant for the promotion of sports and other healthy activities in Daska region.
About one and a half years ago, Punjab Sports Board had initiated a project to remove all ditches from Daska Municipal Stadium by levelling its ground besides installing floodlights there.
“This project has not been completed so far notwithstanding the lapse of a year and a half due to funds paucity,” said the officials of Punjab Sports Board.
There are several feet deep ditches in the sports ground, while, the heaps of soil, dumped there to fill these ditches, were also lying in the ground. The stadium ground has not yet been levelled due to which all the sports activities are completely suspended.
Locals have expressed grave concern over this pathetic condition of Daska stadium. They have demanded ground levelling of Daska stadium to promote sports in the area.
Talking to The Nation, they said that the stadium ground had become a grazing land for stray cattle.
A local player, Salman Sabir said that the ground of Daska stadium was filled with ditches and heaps of soil dumped there. He said that the ground had not yet been levelled despite the passage of one and a half years due to which the youngsters were unable to play there.
Nauman Abid termed this nasty situation a pity with the young generation as youngsters were deprived of sports activities.
The stadium was meant to promote sports, games and other healthy activities in this region. But, unfortunately, it still remains a safer place for local addicts and grazing land for stray cattle due to officials’ negligence.
About three decades ago, then Punjab Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif had established stadium at Daska to promote sports there. This stadium was named after Nawaz Sharif.
It is also a pity that it had become Nawaz Sharif Stadium Daska in PML-N regime and renamed “Municipal Stadium Daska” in other political regimes.
Daska stadium is the area’s only stadium for promoting sports, games and other healthy activities among local youth.
People of Daska have urged Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Director General of Punjab Sports Board Nadeem Sarwar, Commissioner Gujranwala Division Waqas Ali Mehmood and Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Dr Syed Bilal Haider to look into the matter.
When contacted, Director General of the Punjab Sports Board Nadeem Sarwar told the newsmen that this entire bad situation of Daska stadium was in his knowledge. He said that the funds paucity was the major reason behind this inordinate delay in upgradation of the Daska stadium. He said that no funds had been allocated for this project in the budget of Punjab. He said that the miserable condition of Daska stadium might prevail for the next couple of years till the allocation and provision of requisite funds.