Peshawar    -  Three cricket academies with modern day facilities in the merged areas including Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur have been completed along with cricketing ground under the Prime Minister 1000 Playground Sports Facilities Project.

This was stated by Project Director Murad Ali Mohmand soon after returning from his visit to the far-flung areas of the merged districts including Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur. He said, currently nine projects were under construction and the monitoring process of all these projects continued in order to check use of quality materials as directed by the Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan.

He said they had submitted reports about these projects to Secretary Sports Abid Majeed and DG Sports KP Asfandyar Khattak. All such projects, he said, would be completed within time and for this the contractors have been informed. 

Project Director Murad Ali Mohmand accompanied by MPA Shafiq Sher Afridi, Deputy Director Amir Mohammad Betni, AD Arsalan, DSO Rahad Gul visited all the under construction projects under Prime Minister 1000 Playground Sports Facilities. 

They inspected construction work of Cricket Academy, Basketball and Volleyball Courts under construction near Hamza Baba Shrine in Landi Kotal Tehsil and issued orders for early completion of the construction work at Government High School Landikotal Ground and Futsal Ground. 

The team also visited the remote area of Landi Kotal in Tehsil Landikotal and inspected the Fazal Shaheed Cricket Ground there. Murad Ali issued instructions to build a shed for the guests in the ground. 

On the occasion, MPA Shafiq Sher also inaugurated the cricket academies along with the ground in Tehsil Landikotal. Murad Ali while talking to the media said that two projects had been completed in Khyber district costing Rs6.4 million. There was a Katia Khel Cricket Academy on the canal at a cost of Rs4.4 million. He said that several projects were under construction in different tehsils of Khyber while Rs10 million had been allocated for high school football ground and futsal ground in Landikotel.

He said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan approved allocation of Rs7.5 billion for the development of sports infrastructures. He disclosed that the government allocated Rs5 billion for establishment of new sports facilities in merged areas and Rs2.2 billion for up-gradation of existing sports facilities, Rs0.2 billion for rehabilitation of existing sports in sub-districts and districts of the merged areas have been allocated.

He said KP would have 150 sports facilities at UC level by June 2021. He said as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to promote sports activities among youth the provincial govt had set the target of establishing as many as 204 sports facility centres in 170 UCs across province including merged districts with an estimated cost of Rs 5500 million.

He said Rs1178.97 million would be incurred on establishing these sports facilities, of which 150 would be ready by June 2021. He said the five-year PM 1000 Grounds Projects would have a newly introduced climbing wall for kids in 10 different venues, cricket academies, badminton hall, Synthetic Tennis Courts, Synthetic Walking Track, Basketball Courts, Volleyball Courts, Martial Arts Arena was to promote sports culture and to increase the talent. By June this year, 150 different sports structures would be completed. 

He said that the projects included 12 sports facilities in Abbottabad, 16 in Bannu, 07 in Buner, 06 in Charsadda, 09 in Lower Chitral, 12 in Upper Chitral, 13 in Dera Ismail Khan, 12 in Lower Dir, 07 Haripur, 11 in Khyber district , 05 in Kohat, 12 in Lakki Marwat, 05 in Malakand, 02 in Mansehra, 16 in Mardan, 04 in Mohmand district, 10 in Nowshera, 01 in South Waziristan, 09 in Swabi, 15 in Swat, 08 in Tank and 22 in Peshawar. 

He said besides this 10 more projects had also been approved in merged areas including Orakzai, Khurram, North Waziristan and Bajaur. Murad Ali said that cricket academy, basketball and volleyball court near Hamza Baba shrine were in the final stages of construction at a cost of Rs5 million. A cricket ground was being constructed at a cost of Rs40 million in Chapri area of the district. He said that two cricket academies in Bara Tehsil, Khel Mat Shah and Orala Dund Amin Clay were in the final stages of construction. 

Murad Ali Mohmand said to look after the exiting Martial Arts talent among the youth of merged areas, two Martial Arts Academies would be built at a cost Rs1 million so that the players of Martial Arts games including Taekwondo, Judo, Karate, Wushu would be facilitated. Such talented youth, he said, would come up at national and international level.

Murad Ali Khan said that the main objective of the provincial government’s project was to build one ground in each union council with facilities for other games like Futsal, Cricket, Football, Basketball, and Cricket Academy having three pitches each, two muddy and one cemented pitch. He said, provision of playground facilities under PM 1000 Playground Project to all tribal youth was the top most priority of the government as top sports talent existed in these areas.